Many times over the years, we’ve heard from communities with Getting Ahead graduate success stories. And we love it. As you think about your goals for 2026 and what will be the most successful ways to spend your time to create stability for the long term, think about some of these stories and how lives have been positively impacted.
Here are a few introductions from previous stories we’ve received:
My Getting Ahead experience: Before Getting Ahead and my future story
Before I found Mona Ash and Bridges, I was struggling a lot—not just financially but mentally. My mental health was in shambles; I was stuck in a toxic, abusive relationship; and I had no support system. I felt stuck in neutral; I was spinning the tires of my life and getting nowhere, with no real confidence or motivation to do anything about it.
Man’s personal growth from Getting Ahead leads to growth of gardens and community
Jarod, a Getting Ahead participant from Pennsylvania, was introduced to Friends of Donegal (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania) in a Getting Ahead class run by that organization. Jarod had faced many setbacks in his young life. He was isolated from family and friends, and he was unable to engage in school or in the community.
Stepping outside her comfort zone—coaching helps knock down barriers to self-sufficiency
Christine considers her move to York, Pennsylvania, in 2019 as “necessary.”
“If I stay here, I know what the rest of the story looks like,” she remembers thinking. “If I leave, it’s a big, wide-open door.”
Read more of these stories in Getting Ahead Success Stories Volume One and Volume 2. As stated above, we would love to share your investigator/graduate stories with the entire Bridges community. Please send those stories to Ruth Weirich, [email protected], to share the good work that is being done through Bridges.
