Hello! ¡Hola!
My name is Abigail Bush.
I was born in Pasadena, CA, but I grew up on the east coast, in Souderton, PA. Go Phillies!
I found my way to the Harrisonburg area through going to college. I am an August ‘16 graduate from Eastern Mennonite University having received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and a concentration in Language and Literature. Throughout college, I had the privilege to study a variety of topics, including Women’s History, Music Theory, Linguistics, Literature from around the world, Gender Theory, Oceanography, Writing, Photography, and Communications. I recently concluded an internship with N. Street Village, an outreach program for homeless women in the DC area, part of Eastern Mennonite University’s Washington Community Scholars Center program. I have always had diverse interest, yet have been consistently drawn to people and social issues.
I moved to Harrisonburg permanently early this August and planted roots in the Shenandoah Valley. Since my arrival, I have begun working at NewBridges as the Communications and Client Manager! In this role, I maintain the organization's online presence, as well as update the blog and website, contribute to event planning and management, provide photography, as well as work with volunteers.
My first few weeks at NewBridges have kept me busy learning how NewBridges aids their clients, how they use the resources they have access to, and how NewBridges keeps up with its many connections within the community. I have been so impressed by its extensive volunteer network as well as its many supportive connections with other service entities in town, such as First Step and the Collins Center. I am so drawn to the work of non-profit organizations and find it fascinating how NewBridges is able to work together to best serve the needs of this growing immigrant community.
I bring with me to this role at NewBridges a love of people and building relationships. I bring passion for service and love of the arts. I bring a commitment to hope, even during this time when division and doubt cloud the vision of many. I bring, also, a determination to push towards a goal - in this case, the shared goal of broadening the reach of this organization to the ever-expanding diversity that is coming to Harrisonburg, VA.
Throughout my time with NewBridges, I will use my passion for people to fuel my communications work. I will maintain existing connections within the community as well as build new ones with dignity and dependability, yet also with joy. I will use my creativity to reach out to the community both online and off to those needing services and/or wanting to volunteer or otherwise be involved. Above all else, I will serve for the love of serving.
I am ecstatic to have become part of the NewBridges team! I serve as the Communications and Client Manager for NewBridges and am excited to dive right into the important work of this organization.
If you would also like to connect with NewBridges and what we are doing, reach out to us! We would love to interact with you!
You can reach me at the following email address:
abush@newbridgesirc.org
For updates and photos, follow our Facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/newbridgesirc/
En  Español: https://www.facebook.com/PuentesNuevosCRI/
You can also find us on Twitter: @newbridgesirc
And Google+