Sit with Bri Andrews for an hour, and you’ll be taken on a full ride of emotions.
You’ll hear the frustration, the sadness, and the pain pour out of her, and you’ll be mystified, upset, and heartbroken because of what she has gone through.
However, by the end of the hour, you’ll also be inspired because she is trying to create meaningful change in our region.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with the leader of Bri the Change to learn more about her organization, for Black History Month, but I learned more about the struggle to find resources that so many people go through on a daily basis.
Bri The Change is a community connection hub, and Andrews is trying to be that connection for those who are struggling and don’t know where to turn.
“Through this platform, I help coordinate events, drive funding, and build community awareness and support,” Andrews said. “I often say we are not a traditional organization; we are a movement and an ecosystem. Our mission is to build, restore, and inspire. We find the most passionate, under-resourced local organizations, initiatives, and leaders, and we give them a megaphone.”
She is mindful of all these issues because she hears about them regularly, and she’s lived them.
“I didn’t stumble into this work; I was forged by it. I am a survivor of child abuse, a teen mother, and someone who has navigated depression, an eating disorder, and the feeling of being utterly alone,” Andrews said.
“Because it became way past physical and became more so, a battle internally, of like finding reasons to survive, finding reasons to stay alive, fighting through self-harm and suicidal ideation. All those things come together and you realize you don’t have a voice or no one can hear it. You’re screaming inside, and yet no one can hear you, no one’s coming to save you.”
Andrews was able to access her voice when she became a parent. It was then that she had to be heard and make people hear her. She knew that she wanted to be that voice for everyone, and for anyone else that she could be.
Andrews wanted to do this in Fort Wayne because it’s shaped who she is, and she committed to giving back. Eventually, she hopes to expand her reach.
“I’ve seen so much growth in Fort Wayne over the years, but I also know what it’s like to be in need here,” Andrews said. “I know that we have the capacity to provide more judgment-free, loving spaces for people to receive support. My goal is always to expand my reach, but the work starts at home.”
It’s becoming a daily occurrence where people come to her and tell her that her organization has been their saving grace. A local group called After Sundays was trying to build out some mutual aid initiatives, and they sent Andrews’ website to the whole group, and they use it if anyone asks for assistance.
“If I can touch one person and know that people are talking about it, people are hearing it, people are utilizing it and actually finding how it’s so much cleaner and organized for them to be able to process it all,” Andrews said.
She has been able to reach more than just one person and knows many of those who are also doing well to support underserved populations in the region, including NeighborLink, Cinema Center, Pearl Performing Arts Center, and the Brandon Foundation.
The support, services, and mentorship provided by the Small Business Development Center and the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community have been life-changing for Andrews. She also mentioned the Black Business Card Party as a vital link to mentorship and community.
Andrews has also been helped by Count Us In, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization that funds community leaders and community initiatives, and Oxford Community Association has been a great collaborator providing a free venue for her “Build Your Own Blessing Bag” Initiative.
They are actively working to close that gap. The challenge people often have is knowing where to look and having the confidence to step into those spaces.
“It’s about moving from a mindset of ‘I have to do this alone.’ to ‘I am part of a community of builders.’ It can also be difficult to make relevant content to keep your work in the faces of everyone so that people know without a doubt to call on you for the services that you provide,” Andrews said.
The question that begs to be asked is, does she think the average person around Fort Wayne understands or realizes how bad it is for the underserved populations?
“I think most people, ideally, do know. It’s very difficult, and there are a lot of systemic barriers, whether you know someone of color or a woman or with disabilities. And we have made so many beautiful strides, and we’ve made so many beautiful collaborations,” Andrews said.
“It doesn’t take away that at the root, there’s still a ton of barriers that we’re just not going to be able to flush out all at once. It’s going to take a lot of rooted work and a lot of meeting people where they are and having true conversations, meaningful conversations, about what a person needs in order to expose the layers and the facets of how deep this truly goes.”
Andrews believes we should take every opportunity to showcase our history, so that our communities can feel safer, can feel acknowledged, so that our children can know the lineage and the legacy.
If you would like to get involved, Andrews and her organization are involved in many things throughout the year, including an awareness fundraiser for the Human Library, which will be held at the Allen County Public Library Main Branch this Sunday.
She also coordinates “Stop The Silence” events, which create immersive, trauma-informed spaces for survivors. The “Build Your Own Blessing Bags” initiative that has mobilized volunteers to support over 300 families.
She is also deeply engaged in legislative advocacy work, including tracking several bills on immigration and homelessness. Additionally, she is strongly considering running for local office.
“Accessibility to mutual aid resources is so close to my heart,” Andrews said. “I know what it’s like to be in need, and I want to work to remove the stigma and shame from that experience. I want to help retrain our minds to see resources not as a handout, but as a stepping stone to a future we can create for ourselves.”
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