About Us

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About Us

My name is Eliana Jeong, and I am the founder of the non-profit, The Bridge. I am 17 years old, and I currently attend Orange Lutheran High School. I was inspired to create this non-profit last year. At my school, we hold Day of Dreams, which is a day where we partner with schools who are dedicated to preparing students with special needs for “lives of purpose, quality, contribution, and independence.” On this day, we had over a hundred students who were paired for a fun day at Orange Lutheran. I was so surprised to see how much love and happiness were shared. We had all kinds of activities, and I was fortunate enough to play basketball, draw, and more with my partner. This event opened my eyes to how blessed we are to have such an opportunity that was provided by my school. 

Furthermore, I was lucky enough to get in touch with Jose, a 17-year-old who is diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism. He has limited speech and communicates with a voice-output communication device (AAC). Every Thursday, we meet up via Zoom, and I find myself learning more and more about him. We both share our love for Olivia Rodrigo, Katy Perry, and even our favorite animals. We jam out to songs together, and we also watch TV shows. He brightens my day, and I am so fortunate to have met Jose and have such a great friendship with him. I wanted to offer the same experience, which sparked an idea—this non-profit. I hope that other high schoolers can also form great friendships as well. I have learned so much about myself and the world, and I am so excited to share my story through this project.

We are a non-profit organization seeking to support children with disabilities by advocating, uplifting, and recognizing the disabled community. Through “The Bridge,” we want to inspire people to broaden their worldview and appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of all people.
We provide picture communication boards tailored to the individual’s specific needs without any cost. Our vision also includes raising funds to donate to organizations or families of children with disabilities, as well as offering social, emotional support for disabled children through a buddy program. This program will match peers/mentors to the children and will offer a great opportunity for a genuine, authentic connection for both mentor and mentee.
  • Picture Communication: parents or therapists/educators will request customized pictures to help nonverbal children communicate for free.
  • Visual support system:we all learn and communicate better through visual support such as emojis in our daily life. Parents or therapists/educators will request an individualized visual support system, such as a “picture schedule,” “feeling emoji board,” or a “first, then board” through our website. We will mail it out to the parents, organization, or therapist. 
  • Buddy program: children with disabilities will be uplifted through a buddy program. We will support social-emotional development for disabled children in the buddy program. 
  • Fund Raising: parents or organizations for children with disabilities will be supported via donations through fundraising. 
  • Advocate:high school students will support children with disabilities and enjoy a genuine friendship through mentoring opportunities.
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