Our member spotlight comes from BRIDGES at West Palm Beach. Centralia Hines-Bergman is retired from the U.S. Postal Service. She’s also a lead teacher and executive director of Parianna Precious Hands, Inc. (PPH).
Here’s how she explains her organization, its origins, and the difference it has made in the community.
The organization is named after my grandmother Parrie and mother Leanna. My son Malcolm Maurice Sommons II, encouraged me to start this business when he asked one Christmas what he wanted. He said he didn’t want anything. He instead wanted to feed the community. More specifically: he wanted to feed millions.
PPH is a non-profit that began in 2014 after seeing a need in Riviera Beach for meals and regular supply of food. PPH supplies food to more than 800 people a month.
Every second Saturday, we have a drive-thru food distribution from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 868 W. 9th Street, Riviera Beach.
We also have a mentoring group called Parianna Royal Kings & Queens for students in grades four to 12. They meet on Zoom every first and third Saturday and do activities on the first Saturday and cook with a chef and their families on the third Saturday.
Being a part of BRIDGES has motivated me to keep going. That’s in part due to great support from the groups Women Helping Women and the Circles Sisterhood. They call to make sure you are doing alright.
If there’s something they can’t help you with, they lead you in the right direction. Some of the members come and help with my food-distribution. The staff is very uplifting. The classes and activities are fun. BRIDGES is a great organization to be a part of.