Get-togethers:

Breaking bread with your Bridge Builders friends and sharing your cultures with each other.

The power of Bridge Builders comes from large public events and smaller get-togethers of several people and families of different cultures. These friendly gatherings of half a dozen or a dozen people can take place at:

· someone's home,
· a restaurant (especially ones that specialize in ethnic traditions),
· cultural events such as potlatches, fiestas, New Year's celebrations and religious holidays,
· weddings and naming ceremonies,
· picnics or hikes,
· ice fishing,
· sporting events such as cross country skiing, snowboarding or downhill skiing,
· dramatic presentations that address cultural differences and understanding.

Be creative and as your friendships grow you may choose to organize several get-togethers each year. Be sure to use each opportunity to learn from your new friends, especially if they are from cultures or parts of the U.S. that are new to you. To draw them out in your conversation, here are some conversation starters:

· Were you born in Anchorage?
· If so, what brought your parents here and what was it like growing up here? If not, where were you born and what attracted you to Anchorage?
· What are the aspects of Alaska you love the most?
· What aspects of life in our community would you most like to change?
· If you are married, how did you and your spouse meet? (Note: be sensitive, as in some cultures parents still arrange marriages, and your new friends may be reluctant to discuss the subject.)
· Have you or your children encountered racial prejudice and, if so, what do you tell your children regarding how to cope with it?
· What are the traditions from your ethnic culture that you are proudest of and would like to share with others?

When you have held a Bridge Builders get-together please send in a report to the office so that we can track on the bridgebuilding progress in our community. There is a form you can use if you would like and you can just click here to get it in pdf format or click here to get in MS Word Format. And please feel free to send in a couple of digital photos of you, your family and new friends for this website and our newsletter.

Join us and make a difference!

For More Information: Call: 277-1882, Or Email: bridgebuilders@bridgebuildersak.org

Bridge Builders Partners