Community Bridges Inc.

🎓💙 Celebrating the Community Bridges Class of 2026! 💙🎓

There was so much joy, pride, and CB sisterhood in the room as we gathered for our Senior Send Off to celebrate the incredible young women of the Class of 2026 as they prepare to head off to college!

What made the evening especially meaningful was having our Community Bridges community come full circle. Current college students, college graduates, and members of our CB family came back to celebrate our newest graduates and share their experiences and advice. Our girls performed, college students led an engaging panel discussion about what comes next, and every member of the Class of 2026 left with gifts to help send her into this next chapter feeling celebrated and supported.
Events like this remind us that Community Bridges doesn't end at high school graduation. Our girls grow up, go to college, graduate, and come back to lift up the girls following behind them. 💙

A celebration this special takes a community, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make it possible:

💙 The Woman's Club of Chevy Chase for generously sharing its beautiful Clubhouse with us.
💙 CB Board Member Melissa Watts for setting up the space and helping create such a welcoming celebration.
💙 CB Board Member Wilsonia Cherry for personally creating hand cream goody bags for every attendee as her special gift to our community.
💙 Margarita Womack of Latin Goodness/Maspanadas for generously donating the delicious mini empanadas.
💙 John Regan, Sound Engineer, for providing equipment and expert A/V support throughout the evening.
💙 Yasmin and Dino Veizis, Paula Sumberg, and the Julia Renee Veizis Memorial Gift Project community for purchasing and assembling the beautiful Class of 2026 Send Off Gifts for each of our graduates and for generously providing dinner from Thalia’s Cuzina.

And a very special thank you to the Community Bridges team who has walked alongside these young women throughout their high school and college journeys:

💙 Jane De Angeli, College Access & Success Director, for leading our college access work and helping our girls navigate the journey from high school to college and beyond.
💙 Charlain Bailey, former College Access & Success Director, who came back to support this year's graduating class. Charlain helped create and build the College Access & Success program into what it is today, and this program simply would not be what it is without her vision, dedication, and years of commitment to our girls.
💙 Dèjá Taylor, High School Program Manager, and Shelley Sams, High School & Mentor Program Manager, for the countless ways they support, encourage, and champion our high school girls throughout the year.
💙 And JustLove Alabi, our CAS Assistant and a CB Girl herself, representing exactly what makes Community Bridges so special — our girls growing, succeeding, and coming back to help the next generation do the same.

To our Class of 2026: We are so proud of how far you've come, and we can't wait to see where you go next. Remember, wherever college takes you, you will always have a home and a sisterhood at Community Bridges.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎓✨💙

💜 “I found it refreshing to spend time again with a young person, to have the opportunity to see the world through her eyes, and to become invested not just in her present, but in her future.”

This reflection from Community Bridges mentor Chris beautifully captures the power of mentoring.

Through the Community Bridges Mentor Program, Chris and Mia built a meaningful relationship that fostered growth, confidence, and connection. Their story is a reminder that mentoring is not only life-changing for young people—it can be incredibly rewarding for mentors, too.

We're now recruiting mentors for the 2026–27 school year! If you've ever considered making a difference in a young person's life, this is your opportunity. Just a few hours each month can help a girl build confidence, achieve her goals, and realize her full potential.

Read Chris and Mia's mentoring story at the link below and learn how you can become a mentor today! https://communitybridges-md.org/community-bridges-mentor-highlight-mia-and-chris/

🌟 Meet Our Summer Rise Intern! 🌟

Please join us in welcoming Braelyn Wood to Community Bridges this summer!

Braelyn is an incoming senior at Sherwood High School, where she plays Varsity Flag Football and Lacrosse and serves as Historian for FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America).

She is passionate about youth development and public health and is excited to spend her summer supporting the mission of Community Bridges. We are thrilled to have her on our team and look forward to all she will accomplish this summer!

Welcome, Braelyn! 💜

⚾🌟 Join Community Bridges at the Bethesda Big Train Game! 🌟⚾

We're thrilled to be the featured community partner at the Bethesda Big Train game on Saturday, June 6, and we'd love for you to join us for a fun-filled evening celebrating our incredible girls!

The night will feature Community Bridges girls:
🎤 Singing the National Anthem
⚾ Throwing out the First Pitch
💃 Performing for the crowd

We're also proud to share that Community Bridges Executive Director, Shannon Babe-Thomas will be honored with the Community Hero Award. This recognition reflects the strength, resilience, and accomplishments of the girls and families we serve, as well as the amazing community that supports them.

Bring your family, invite your friends, and help us fill the stands with Community Bridges supporters!

🎟 Use group code: SUPER
🔗 https://bt1.glitnirticketing.com/btticket/web/logingroup1.php

We can't wait to celebrate with you at the ballpark! 💙⚾

Congratulations to CB Girl Alexa Amaya, RN! 💙💉

We are so proud of Alexa on completing her Transition to Practice Program at , an incredible milestone as she continues growing in her nursing career.

A proud Community Bridges alumna (Kennedy) and College Access and Success graduate at , Alexa has been shining since day one. Along the way, she’s also served as a Community Bridges ambassador, always showing up to encourage and uplift younger CB college students.

Alexa, your commitment, compassion, and leadership continue to inspire us all. We are cheering you on as you step fully into this next chapter as a nurse—your impact is already so powerful, and it’s only growing! ✨💙

Theresa Testoni is a dedicated community champion whose generosity, leadership, and steady commitment have made a lasting impact on Community Bridges Inc. and the girls and families the organization serves.

A longtime supporter of Community Bridges, Theresa consistently gives her time, talent, and resources to ensure that young women in grades 4-12 have what they need to thrive academically, personally, and emotionally. She is deeply motivated by their mission to empower girls to become confident, engaged students and strong, compassionate leaders in their communities.

One of Theresa's most meaningful contributions has been helping to establish and strengthen a partnership with the Rainbow Community Development Center. This partnership has supported the ongoing distribution of nutritious food and healthy snacks for girls and their families—an essential resource that strengthens well-being and removes barriers to learning. Since 2020, this effort has contributed to the distribution of millions of pounds of food to the Community Bridges community.

Additionally, Theresa played a key role in helping to secure a 15-passenger van, expanding the organization's ability to safely transport students to programs, college visits, and leadership opportunities. She also helps coordinate the Adopt-a-Family holiday program, ensuring that families experience joy, dignity, and support during the holiday season, and the Blazers for Her initiative, which collects professional attire so that girls are prepared and confident for workforce opportunities.

"Theresa's impact goes far beyond any single program," said Shannon Babe-Thomas, Executive Director of Community Bridges. "She is a connector, problem-solver, and tireless advocate who continually expands the network of people invested in [our] mission. Her work helps strengthen the entire ecosystem of support around the girls and families [we] serve."

Theresa's commitment reflects the heart of Community Bridges: when a community comes together around its young people with intention and care, meaningful and lasting change is possible.

Support Community Bridges this by visiting GiveGreaterDC.org!

Photo taken by Shannon Babe-Thomas. Additional photos by Community Bridges

During April, Community Bridges explored an important theme with our girls: celebrating the diversity of our cultures and communities.

As part of the activity, girls were invited to bring in an item that represented their culture and share its meaning. What followed was powerful, girls proudly shared stories about their heritage, family history, traditions, and what makes them who they are.

Curiosity filled the room as girls asked thoughtful questions, listened deeply to one another, and discovered shared experiences that built connection and belonging across different backgrounds.

At Community Bridges, we empower girls to be proud of their identity. Through weekly programming like our Girls Program, we create safe, supportive spaces where girls can express who they are, elevate their cultures, and build confidence through community.

Today, you can help continue this work through Give Greater DC with Spur Local.

💜 Make a gift: https://www.givegreaterdc.org/o/community-bridges
💜 Share this post to help us reach more supporters
💜 Support programs that help girls feel seen, valued, and empowered

Every donation helps create spaces where girls can grow with pride, confidence, and connection.