Time for Change
by Alyssa Lindsay
Dear Friends,
My journey with Bridges started with an email about a role that seemed to align perfectly with everything I was looking to be and do in the world. I was young and passionate about learning from and with others to create needed change in our communities. I was heading west at the time and planned to be in Alberta 2 days later. I had that feeling that it was just meant to be. Now, 10 years later, I’m still in Alberta and that email has resulted in a decade of amazing relationship, learning, and community.
While change is a constant in the work that we do, recently I’ve been having a feeling that it’s time for a larger change. Change not just for our communities and for youth, but change for Bridges, and change for me. At Bridges we spend a lot of time thinking about our Wisdom stories – understanding ourselves, why we want to inspire change and what makes us the right fit to lead certain changes forward. After much thought and reflection, my wisdom story is telling me that it’s time for a new chapter, and that there are different changes that I am meant to lead forward. I have decided it’s time for me to transition out of my current role at Bridges.
Wisdom stories help us bring learning forward from our experiences, share that learning with others, and navigate change together. I recently did a timeline reflection of my ten years at Bridges. There were more significant moments than I could fit on the page and no way I can share them all here, but if I had to boil them all down into three main ideas to be part of my Bridges Wisdom story, here’s what I would say:
- Relationship – Significant moments have been those of relationship and connection. From first introductions to meaningful heartfelt sharing, and genuine collaboration where we were able to achieve more together than we could on our own. Relationships have transcended any single accomplishment or event. I have come to understand relationship on much deeper and broader levels through my time with Bridges. I’ve also been privileged to build relationships with amazing people and places, that I am excited to stay connected and in relationship with, even though my role is changing.
- Learning - I’m grateful for so many individuals who have shown patience and understanding as I have learned through our experiences together and especially grateful for the many youth and young adults who have taught me so much. Often the richest learning has come from when things didn’t go according to plan or work out the way we thought they would. If we can find ways to be humble and open in those moments, and take that learning forward, there is a world of new ideas that are waiting for us.
- Community – We can’t do this work alone and it’s not about any single person. Everything is stronger when it contributes to a bigger cause, reflects different perspectives, and leverages the strengths of others – it’s also way more fun and enjoyable. When I get stuck, the only way forward is to reach out to others. There are so many valuable lessons in learning about the role of community and its importance in everything we do.
We know that change can be hard, especially when it relates to something that has been such an important part of your life for so long, but these reflections demonstrate that Bridges is the creation and passion of many people, and I am excited to see where others lead Bridges forward to next. I believe that this change will create opportunity for new leadership, and growth for many in our community. Just over a year ago, we welcomed Spirit River Striped Wolf as Co-Leader of the organization and I am grateful that Spirit River will assume the role of Executive Director to lead forward the next phase of Bridges, alongside our amazing team, board, and partners. Spirit River has developed a strong understanding and appreciation for the important work that has been done and brings new perspectives and ideas for how to continue this work forward in strong and sustainable ways.
I know that relationships, learning and community will be a fundamental part of moving into the next phase of Bridges and we welcome your support on this journey. One way to support this important transition is to contribute to the Rogers Birdies for Kids campaign by August 31. Contributions will be matched up to 50% so your contribution is multiplied. This funding is fundamental to helping the organization take the next step forward. We also welcome your support, thought partnership, and engagement in other aspects of our community work. If you’d like to be involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@canadabridges.com!
I’ll conclude by saying I am so grateful for everyone and everything that I have been connected to through Bridges and proud of all that we have accomplished together. To every single person that I have had the chance to interact with over the past 10 years, I want to say a big thank you. You have helped the organization get to where it is today and me to become the person that I am today and for that I am truly grateful. I hope that our paths will continue to cross and together we’ll navigate new and exciting ways for youth in our communities to show up, stand up and be heard.
With gratitude and hope,
Alyssa