Our Staff

Bonnie Bazata, Executive Director

Bonnie Bazata is the first executive director of the St. Joseph County Bridges Out of Poverty Initiative (SJC Bridges). She has extensive experience in a wide range of culturally and economically diverse organizations.  Prior to her work with SJC Bridges, she was the Associate Director for the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL) at Saint Mary’s College, and before that, the Assistant Director for the Pima County Youth Opportunity Movement in Tucson, Arizona.  In both settings she helped start up programs that gained national recognition for their impact and achievement.

Bonnie grew up in Cassopolis, Michigan, a rural community with both racial and economic diversity.  She holds an MA in bilingual/ multicultural education from the University of Arizona and a BA in political science and communications from Antioch College. She was a recipient of a Watson Fellowship studying Gandhian nonviolence in England and India.

For her work she has been awarded the Citizen of the Year award in 2009 from the Northwest Indiana Region of the National Association of Social Workers, the St. Joseph County Jobs with Justice award in 2007, an Indiana Torchbearer award in 2006 from the Indiana Commission for Women, and in 2006 a community service award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation of St. Joseph County.

A. Baye’ Sylvester, Getting Ahead Graduate Support & Americorps Service Member

Baye’ has been affiliated with SJC/Bridges for over a year now. Beginning as a volunteer in helping to remodel the present office and then as a GA facilitator. Baye’ now works in the office daily with data entry and is also lead facilitator for Getting Ahead classes, as well as doing presentations in the community. Prior to coming to BOP, Baye’ worked in the community addressing the reentry needs of ex-prisoners. For the past eight years, he has worked through out the midwest in community organizing with various groups, i.e. Madison Urban Ministries (MUM), ACORN, Cease Fire, and other smaller community groups committed to the empowerment of the people.

Amber Werner, Americorps Service Member

Amber is a third year AmeriCorps service member who currently attends IUSB in pursuit of her degree in General Studies with minors in Psychology and Anthropology.  She co-facilitates Getting Ahead and Investigations into Economic Class while co-instructing the Financial Management Class.  Amber has the gift of being able to empathize, communicate, and learn while motivating those who are under-resourced.

Mara Martinez, Americorps Service Member

Mara Martinez recently graduated from Saint Mary’s College with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology.  Her combined passions for creative writing and helping people made her an invaluable intern in the SJC Bridges office her senior year. We’re so pleased she’s committed to serving as a full-time AmeriCorps member for the next year!

Janet Bonham, Accountant & Office Administrator

Clara Ross, Americorps Service Member

Before coming to Bridges, Clara Worked at St. Margaret’s House for 4 years as Guest Service Coordinator.  She has been long acquainted with Bridges work because she is proudly in one of the first getting ahead graduates in Saint Joseph County. She continues to be a community Advocate for not-profits such as Legal Service, Hanna’s House, Safe Station. Clara also attends Ivy Tech Community College and is majoring in Hospitality and Business Communication.

Mariah Smith, Americorps Service Member

Mariah is currently a hardworking and ambitious student at Ivy Tech Community College. She is majoring in Accounting and Film & Video. She will be taking on the role as photographer and videographer. Mariah is ready and willing to serve and make a difference in her community.

Barbara Jung, AmeriCorps Service Member

Barbara joined the staff as an Americorps member on September 1, 2011.  She is an ordained minister who worked as a pastor in a total of eight ministries over a thirty-year period.  Five of those years she served as an interim minister for churches that were in transition.  She has experience teaching, speaking, counseling and as office administrator. Barbara’s lifelong interest has been in empowering people. She will be working with volunteers and in a support role on staff.

Alyssa Sappenfield, intern from Notre Dame

Originally from Northeastern Oklahoma, Alyssa is a senior at the University of Notre Dame, double majoring in sociology and psychology. She hopes to attend law school. Thanks to the compassion that was instilled in her by her parents, she has always had a special interested in unfairly marginalized communities, like the impoverish, homeless, and those with developmental difficulties. She is currently working in the Bridges office as an intern and as a research assist to Dr. Michael Jindra and Dr. Ines Jindra under the Ganey Grant from the University of Notre Dame.

Melanie Weigand, intern from Notre Dame

Melanie is pursuing her degree in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics.  Melanie plans to attend law school in the fall of 2012 in her hometown, Spokane, WA. Recently, Melanie worked at a non-profit law firm and was exposed to many issues of poverty law and financial inequality in her community. This experience has sparked her interest in the study of poverty and the criminal justice system in St. Joseph County, which she hopes to further explore through her internship with Bridges Out of Poverty.

Laura Phillips, intern from Notre Dame

Laura is originally from Houston, Texas.   She is pursuing her degree in psychology and political Science.  This is her second semester volunteering with Bridges out of Poverty and we are lucky to have her. She also participates in intramural sports and other service organizations on campus. Laura’s dream job would be to own her own bakery that would also serve as a non-profit organization.

 

Contact us at sjcbridges@gmail.com