From Pivot to Pivotal: Looking Back on 2021 with Gratitude

Dear BJM Community,

If 2020 was the great pivot, then 2021 was the most pivotal season in BJM’s 13-year history.  

We have gone through many transitions this year. It is because of partners like you that we move forward. It is because of partners like you that our team is positioned in strength and excitement.  It is because of partners like you that the mission of building pathways to brighter futures for women and girls persists.  

And we are truly grateful. 

Here’s a look back at our highlights this year: 

Our team continued to be flexible in helping women and girls navigate new needs. Even in the darkness of what COVID-19 has been, our team has seen hope alive in deeper relationships in our community and connections with women and girls. 

For youth, we offered hybrid creative art classes, learning pods, field trips, and one-on-one mentoring. By the fall, we were almost 100% back to in-person classes, including our much-anticipated return to studio space at Alonzo King Lines Dance Center.  

Our Brighter Futures Benevolence Fund provided rental assistance to dozens of families, keeping them housed despite multiple rounds of reopening and shutting down.  the city. In addition to these very tangible needs, we served mothers and families holistically through weekly Brave Space groups, Bible studies, prayer times, and provided vital connections to health and wellness resources. 

EdenMade, BJM’s ministry to women in the adult entertainment industry, has been in a season of research and development. When strip clubs closed during COVID, we intentionally trained and collaborated with other ministries and organizations around the country, learning best practices in serving the needs of women in the industry. EdenMade is now re-imagined to focus on both intervention models at clubs and prevention models with  girls in the foster care system, disrupting cycles of exploitation. 

This has been a pivotal year for BJM’s leadership too. Ruthie Kim, our Founder, transitioned out of her role as Executive Director. Long-time Youth Director Gabrielle Alzate stepped into this lead role, while long-time Youth Staff Laina Humbles took the lead with the Youth Ministry. This is leadership development and a culture of empowerment in action! But that’s not all. In 2021, two additional staff joined our team full-time: a new Volunteer Coordinator and Communications Coordinator. And five trainees joined this fall—our first leadership cohort since the pandemic began!

As we are moving into this new season, our team is bursting with vision. New Horizons await. 

We are so thankful for you and your continued investment in ministry to women and girls in San Francisco. 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Gabrielle Alzate

Executive Director