LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. (KERO) — The KRV Bridge Connection building aims to b a one stop shop for those in the valley that are seeking assistance of any kind.
- The non-profits that are located at the building are CAPK, Flood Ministries, Kern Health Systems, Open Door Network, Be Finally Free, Garden Pathways, Cerro Coso College, and Stewards.
- The building is located at 6069 Lake Isabella Boulevard and is open from Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“So this new building brings hope. It brings all the resources that are readily available elsewhere in Kern County into one local hub,” said Karen Zuber, Executive Director of the KRV Bridge Connection.
Zuber is showing me around the 3,000 square foot building located at 6069 Lake Isabella Boulevard, that will give various non-profits a foothold into the Kern River Valley –
“Inside the building we will have Flood Ministries, Open Door Network, CAP-K, Be Finally Free, Garden Pathways, Cerro Coso College, Stewards, Kern Healthcare Systems.”
Those providers are still moving into the space, but it’s already being used.
On Monday it hosted training for locals participating in the upcoming point-in-time count.
The idea is that it’s a one stop shop.
“And while you are meeting with someone as a client to uncover the needs they can refer you to somewhere else,” Zuber explained.
The KRV Bridge Connection, a non-profit, will run the building.
The organization was founded in 2022 and have helped organize events like National Night Out, which took place outside their newly opened building, as well as pop-ups that connected people with resources – but Zuber said she saw the need for a permanent space people could go to.
“We are a rural community. We have long transportation to be able to get to resources,” Zuber said.
The building has some unique features.
“We do have a teaching kitchen.”
The non-profit was able to update the kitchen using a grant from Kaiser Permanente.
“We are going to teach diabetic cooking and things like that,” Zuber said.
For Flood Ministries, which focuses on providing assistance to homeless populations, having a permanent space in the building helps their ability to serve the KRV community.
“We noticed that in the outlying cities of Kern County there are specific needs for each community,” said Scott Mcardle.
Scoot Mcardle is the Program Manager for Street Outreach for Flood Ministries –
“It is far easier to have what we call a drop-in center, where maybe it’s not an overnight shelter but it’s a place where people come to get something to eat, possibly wash their clothes and take a shower, and also get linked to services during that time.”
And with the building just recently opened, Zuber says that they are still looking into all the different ways it can benefit the community.
“It really is just a source, if there is a need in the community we want to be there to meet it.”
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