A two-day barbecue fundraiser, which kicked off Friday to support the work of Building Community Bridges and the families they serve, continues today.
The Father’s Day BBQ started Friday at BCB and will continue from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today, but will move to the parking lot near Hobby Lobby at 2235 Missouri Blvd.
Typically, BCB holds a barbecue for Father’s Day, but this year staff members expanded the event to two days in an effort to bring in more funds, BCB founder Douglas Wright III said.
“We need to be able to raise money to be able to pay our expenses here,” Wright said. “So, just be able to give back, do a little more, have some fun, but mainly to be able to pay the bills.”
BCB was established in 2017 as an organization dedicated to lifting up under-served youths. It later developed into a nonprofit that serves entire families, according to previous reporting.
The team hopes to raise at least $1,500 during the barbecue, which will go toward mortgage and utility payments for the nonprofit, according to Wright.
BCB hosts a food pantry twice a week, offers an after-school tutoring program, a summer lunch program, Adopt-a-Family at Christmas time and more. It also has a free music program where youths can learn how to write music and learn to play a musical instrument.
“We’re a community center that gives back and Jeff City has been very helpful in helping us to be able to maintain our (efforts),” Wright said.
In addition to paying off the mortgage, BCB continues to renovate its headquarters as it works toward sustainability, Wright said. The headquarters used to be a wide-open warehouse, so everything on the bottom floor was added, including a kitchen, office space, event space, food pantry and two bathrooms.
Recently, it has been installing new flooring, and there is painting that needs to be done. There are plans to add some additional bathrooms, as well as some additional office space upstairs.
“It (the barbecue) helps put up walls,” executive director Alicia Edwards-Wright said.
The barbecue offers a couple of different meal options: the brat meal includes a bratwurst on a bun, mac and cheese, baked beans and potato salad. The rib meal includes ribs, mac and cheese, baked beans and potato salad.
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Jennifer Pallikkathayil is the health and social services reporter. Prior to coming to the News-Tribune, she worked in reporting and editing roles at small newspapers in Iowa and Nebraska. She also worked for nearly a decade at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. She is married to Jothi (Joe) Pallikkathayil and is step-mom to Jazz. She can be reached at 573-761-0254 or [email protected]
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