Faith-Based Organizations

When Marilyn Pardo, the Director of the St. John’s Church Nursery School in Larchmont,NY announced her retirement after 27 years of service last winter, the parishioners wanted to do something very special to honor her. It didn’t take much discussion to determine that building a school for children in a remote area of Nicaragua with Bridges to Community would be a fitting tribute. A year later, the Escuela de Marilyn Pardo - Jesus de la Buena Esperanza, in the rural community of Amparo, is now a beautiful reality where 80 students, who previously had no permanent school structure, are now able to receive an education. read more

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