Welcome to our first of two editions in April. And, welcome to our new platform — www.bridgebeavercounty.com.
We're still updating our new site and transferring over our almost three years of newsletter content from our old system. A fully updated platform is forthcoming!
Below, you'll find reflections from our team, April opportunities and resources to keep bookmarked.
On April 30, be on the look-out for a special edition of The Bridge created entirely by middle and high school students from Aliquippa.
There are lots of Earth Day events beginning April 18 and going through early May. Earth Day is on Wednesday, April 22. Learn more about the history of Earth Day here. Also, the Maple Syrup Festival returns to Beaver County this Saturday, but in a new location — Big Knob Grange, 336 Grange Road, Rochester.
April 16 to 19
April 20 to 26
April 27 to May 4
Editor Dani Brown is currently listening to "Peace is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hanh on audiobook. In this book, Nhat Hanh, known as the "father of mindfulness," offers small, mindful practices that anyone can do throughout the day.
As the farmers' markets prepare to reopen in May, check out this list of seasonal produce from PA Preferred.
"When the Earth Moves" by Outrider Foundation is a short film that looks at the original vision of Earth Day. The film also features Tia Nelson, the daughter of former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, who founded Earth Day in 1970. Watch it here.
From Blossoms
By Li-Young Lee
From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the boy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.
From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.
O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.
RiverWise Executive Director Daniel Rossi-Keen recently read "Smaller Cities in a Shrinking World: Learning to Thrive Without Growth" by Alan Mallach, which explores what it looks like to produce healthy communities and societies whose vision for the future is not predicated on perpetual growth.
Both highly relevant and accessible, Mallach's book has much to teach places like Beaver County which, for generations, has held unrealistic expectations about the role of economic growth in shaping a vibrant future for the region.
The Women's Center of Beaver County has services for all victims and survivors of domestic violence and their loved ones. Please call the 24 hour helpline for assistance at 724-775-0131.
Housing Assistance:
• Housing Authority of Beaver County, 724-775-1220
• The Cornerstone of Beaver County, 724-846-6400
• The Salvation Army: Aliquippa 724-891-3605, Beaver Falls 724-846-2330 and Rochester 724-774-8335
Mental Health Services:
In crisis: Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741
Beaver County 24/7 Crisis Hotline: Call 724-371-8060 or 1-800-400-6180
Beaver County Behavioral Health can help with access to mental health, drug and alcohol, intellectual disability and autism services in our community. Call 724-891-2827 for additional information or to schedule a free assessment.
Food Banks: The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank partners with countless food banks throughout the greater Pittsburgh region, including Beaver County. Click here for a list of 2026 distribution locations and dates.
Soup Kitchens: Click here for a list of free meals in Beaver County in 2025. The list is also available on the Beaver County HMIS website.
JOB LISTINGS
To learn more about RiverWise's SNAP Farmers' Market Coordinator position, visit here.
To learn more about Southern Health Partners' Full Time LPN position at the Beaver County Jail, visit here.
The Bridge is a community publication by RiverWise that creates, platforms and curates stories about our neighbors in Beaver County. The Bridge is working to become a hub for all things community: a platform for creative advocacy, a bulletin board for resources and opportunities and a space where the people of Beaver County are seen, inspired and motivated to work together.
Dani Brown
Dani Brown is the editor-in-chief of The Bridge and also works as RiverWise's Director of Strategic Communication. She's an award-winning journalist and former reporter for the Beaver County Times and USA Today Network.
Beaver Falls, Pa