New Bridges Coalition
Make a friend who doesn't look like you
Make a friend who doesn't look like you
The New Bridges Coalition is a very special collaboration between OCA-WHV,
African American Men of Westchester,
Japanese American Association of New York,
NAACP Greenburgh-White Plains,
and the Westchester County Human Rights Commission.
Cofounded by OCA-WHV past president Robert "Bob" Chao, New Bridges strives to be a voice and venue for peace and unity among people of different backgrounds.
Visit the New Bridges website to learn more about this exciting and unique program!
Some successes from 2024-6 included:
Incorporation as a new nonprofit!
Lunch and Learn Diversity events (Over 50 people from 7 member groups met, plus Sikhs of Westchester and Yonkers Gurdwara)
2024-2026: Tabled with OCA at Asian, African, and Indian American festivals. We received lot of positive interest from people of different backgrounds who otherwise might not have seen a connection with OCA.
4 craft circles for seniors at Sunnybrook Towers: We provided yarn, craft tools, and snacks to seniors in Mt Vernon, creating connections between Korean American, Indian American, African American, and Latino American residents of the buildings.
Launched the New Bridges Youth group. Recruited a list of 20 motivated and excellent high school students, many from NYS Senator Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousin’s youth leadership program.
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Enjoyed movie night and ramen together in New Rochelle
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Escape room in White Plains
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Toy drive for the Urban League/Lois Bronz Center
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Wrapped presents in Yonkers for Toys for Tots, contributing over 80 person-hours of work in the warehouse
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Volunteered for seniors Craft Circles
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Volunteered at the Hudson River Museum Lunar New Year
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Career day with Justice Lilian Wan at the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division court in Brooklyn
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Cultural learning at Diwali, Juneteenth, Navratri, Martin Luther King Day, and Lunar New Year celebrations