Service Learning

This is the question that the staff in Nindiri has recently been asking not only the North American volunteer groups; but also members from the community of Papayal and Guanacastillo, community leaders from Papayal and the crew of masons from Nindiri.

This past February, Temple Shaaray Tefila brought 47 teens to Nicaragua to volunteer with Bridges for their joint annual inter-faith program with the Bedford Presbyterian Church. Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Associate Rabbi, and Brad Zicholtz, Director of the Temple’s Youth Program (and also a Bridges Board member), have been coordinating these service trips with the Bedford Church for the past seven years. It all started at the urging of Dr. Gary Cohn who had been down in Nicaragua with Bridges previously and felt this would be an import asset to the Temple's Youth program. read more

April 6, 2010-Sent to Bridges by the mother of a high school student volunteer

My son, who began to clam up as soon as puberty hit, has talked more about this trip to Nicaragua in March than any other high school experience.  He, too, is talking about doing it again, and is re-searching his college acceptances to see which might have a similar program. read more

When Rabobank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program chose to work with Bridges to sponsor a week building homes in Nicaragua, Karen Basu and Jennifer Carbone, both employees of Rabobank in New York City, became the official organizers of the trip.  The two women, who were friends prior to the trip, were the life blood of this service week.  They raised money, recruited and prepared volunteers as well as secured financial support through Rabobank’s CSR program. read more