HARTFORD — At Bridges 120, 120 N. Main St., Suite 100, Hartford residents can find a place not just for coffee, smoothies and bakery, but a hub where anyone can find a sense of community, not just by being in the presence of others, but in what some customers leave behind on the Pay It Forward wall.
When Bridges 120 owner Carrie Dipaola began her business, she wanted it to be a community hub where people gathered and got to know one another, and after a visit to Open Door in Mayville, she was inspired to include a Pay It Forward wall as a way to increase community support between Hartford residents.
At first, there were only a couple of sticky notes, each hand-written with a menu item or dollar amount they could be redeemed for, but now a couple years later, the space where one can pay it forward on the Pay It Forward wall is routinely full.
“I think it’s a huge part of Bridges 120, and when people come in here it’s one of the first things they always notice,” said Karlee Bethke, a partner in Bridges 120. “It’s my favorite part of the day when people use it.”
The purpose of the Pay It Forward wall is to let people give to the Hartford community, while choosing who they want to give to.
“Everyone has a different story, and they want that story to kind of show through it, and I think it does,” Bethke said. “You can kind of tell who might have written it, and sometimes you have no clue. But, a dad that did it recently (made one) for another dad and I’ve had a lot of new moms who said, you know, it was hard for me at one point, I’m going to do it for another mom.”
Bethke added that by having people choose who they want to give to through the Pay It Forward wall, it also makes the recipients feel seen.
“This way it helps very particular needs,” Bethke said. “I had an ER nurse use it last night, and she goes ‘no one ever thinks of just me.’” To partake in the Pay It Forward Wall, all you have to do is go up to the register at Bridges 120, and you can either purchase a dollar amount or specific item off their menu. Then you write down on a Post-it what you bought and who can use it (for example an EMT or a high school student in a specific club) and stick it on the Pay It Forward wall for someone that you choose to use it.
“It does make a difference, and it makes every day coming here a little bit sweeter, because I know it’s going to put a smile on somebody’s face,” said Bethke.
“Bridges is a cafe that is focused on bringing the community together. It started off with smoothies and it’s really expanded into a full-blown eatery with games … our mission is to bring people together from all types and walks of life.”