Collaboration Stories are what BridgeLink is all about. But what is collaboration? This is a word used liberally on this website and it should be defined.
Our dictionaries will tell us that it is working together. But is that it? Go to the Thesaurus and we get words like teamwork, partnership, and cooperation.
If you've experienced it, you know that some of these words fall short. So, maybe a story in pictures would help, like the one at the right. 
Another dictionary definition seems to get at what the picture is trying to say:
"... to cooperate with someone with which one is not immediately connected."
Most of us do not see ourselves connected for the same purpose and it takes work to work together. It takes getting beyond ourselves to focus on the needs of others and help them meet their needs. Like our friends at the right. Notice that they go through three steps before they start seeing themselves as conneceted and how that could help them work together! Notice too that one of them had to give something up to get something in return.
A funny thing happens when we collaborate. As we help others, we realize we are helping ourselves. It's good. And it is so much easier than the other way of doing things.
Stories : Characters, Setting, Plot
Here are some stories of people and organizations who experienced collaboration through BridgeLink.
Note: Due to confidentiality, some pictures are representations of the story but not the actual participants.
If you have a BridgeLink Collaboration Story that you would like us to consider for this page, click here and send us your story.
Joe walked into Business Leadership Forum (BLF) wondering what this might be all about. He sat down next to a friendly woman who introduced herself as Therese. As Joe enjoyed the breakfast and the morning speaker, they got to know each other, and Therese talked about how much she liked the emphasis at BLF about community service. She went on to tell how her office had recently enjoyed organizing a theme dinner for Alexandra House.
Interesting story. But it didn't end there. You see, Joe owns a restaurant. He liked Therese's story and could see how his business could help in the same way. So he did. And the lives of the women and their children at Alexandra House were touched and the mission of Alexandra House was helped.
Ahmad came to America from Africa several years ago and began to work to meet the needs of his family. His work with the US Postal service was rewarding, but he struggled to get into home ownership. Out of love for his family, he approached Habitat for Humanity hoping to qualify for their housing program in Ramsey. He did, and through his own sweat equity and the help of several volunteer organizations, he and his family will become the owner of the first of what will be 24 town house units in Ramsey. BridgeLink and its Support Organizations is one source of volunteers that is helping now through 2009.
Steve was faithfully leading his small group of high school students and looking for service opportunties from which they could grow. Steve's church, Constance Free Church, had recently started a new non profit called BridgeLink. They talked about an organization called Chores & More that helped the elderly and disabled in Anoka County. Chores & More needed help with cleaning "junk" that family members had stored for years in a woman's backyard. On this Saturday, the small group met and accomplished filling a 30 yard dumpster, mowed and raked the entire yard, tore down a lean-to in back of the garage and enjoyed some cookies the homeowner had ready for them.
Terry was trained by Tamarisk this year to come along side those with life-threatening illness. He now visits someone three Wednesdays a month and one Monday. They talk about old cars as the companion was a mechanic for years. They swap stories of favorite trips about bass fishing and grouse hunting respectively. They together listen to country music and tried playing checkers, but Terry beat him twice so his new friend doesn't want to play any more! While Terry provides companionship, his companion's wife is able to run errands, do yard work and attend a once a month hobby group she enjoys. Terry said to tell everybody that if they have a little free time they should try this. It really helps somebody and that feels good.