Ida D'Angelo to lead Friends of Bridge
Longtime Valley Stream resident installed as president
Friends of Bridge, Inc. — the Valley Stream-based substance abuse treatment facility — has a new leader. Ida D’Angelo was sworn in as Bridge’s new president on Dec. 8, and D’Angelo said she is ready to continue the work of her predecessor, Barbara DeGrace.
“I’m proud that my fellow members think I can follow Barbara,” D’Angelo said. “We just want students to know that our service is available any time. We are there for them.”
Friends of Bridge — which was founded in Valley Stream in the 1970s — offers group and individual treatment and coping strategies to people who are dealing with addiction to alcohol and drugs. Executive Director Richard Schmit said the facility was founded by a group of teachers and concerned citizens during a heroin epidemic that spread throughout Valley Stream in the mid-70s. After a student at Central High School overdosed on heroin, Friends of Bridge, was formed. The facility works with about 60 to 70 clients each week.
D’Angelo, who has lived in Valley Stream for 40 years, has been involved with Bridge for the past decade. She originally worked with the substance abuse treatment facility in the 70s, but had three kids in school and was a member of the Parent Teacher Association, so she didn’t have enough time to fully commit to the organization. After her kids grew up and pursued successful careers, D’Angelo said it was the right time to jump back into Bridge. “I felt there was a need for me to get back in,” she said. “I was fortunate with my kids, but I knew families whose kids were affected by drugs.”
As the new president, there are several programs D’Angelo said she wants to expand. One of those programs, she said, was started with the help of Henry Waldinger Memorial Library Director Mamie Eng. The program focuses on bringing new books into Bridge and having clients discuss the themes and meanings of the literature. D’Angelo said they once had an author come to Bridge and join in with clients on discussing the book, and that is something she’d like to continue in the future. “[The program] lets clients know that the community cares enough about them to do something,” she said.
