About us
Empowering children and families with advocacy, dignity,
and hope.
The Advocacy Bridge
The Advocacy Bridge is dedicated to ensuring that children in foster care are not alone in their journey. Through the appointment of CARE Advocate volunteers, we provide consistent guidance, advocacy, and encouragement for young people in Bristol County. Our volunteers work closely with families, schools, and service providers to strengthen support systems and promote dignity-driven care. By standing alongside children during some of life’s most challenging moments, we help them build resilience, stability, and hope for a brighter future.
Our Founder
Grey Hillard-Koshinsky
Founding Executive Director
Grey is a nationally recognized advocate, change maker, and creator. With over 15 years of nonprofit leadership, Grey has dedicated their career to authentic youth engagement, elevating the voices of those most impacted by systems, and providing training and technical consultation to organizations within and outside of child welfare systems. Grey also brings the invaluable perspective of an adult with lived experience in the foster care system.
When we say "Lived Experience" in child welfare we mean
In the constantly changing set of circumstances
that our children, families, and communities endure, we show up with creative energy and the ability to shift and shine a light on priorities as needed.
Respect
The glue that holds our relationships
together and is achieved through cultivating trust, safety, and well-being. We will ensure that our practice reflects these values through continuous evaluation of our goal to disrupt the status quo in partnership with children, families, and community organizations
Dignity
We center and honor the experiences of children and families
through humility, continued evolution and examination of our language, actions, and deliberate cultivation of our environments. We will ensure these efforts are culturally-driven and collaborative with children and families
Empathy
A skillset developed over time wherein we recognize and validate the strengths and challenges faced by our children, families, and communities without minimizing them.
Empathy is at the core of how we connect with children, families, and communities. It is more than compassion — it is an active skill we cultivate over time by listening deeply, recognizing strengths, and validating the challenges people face without diminishing their experiences. At Advocacy Bridge, empathy guides our advocacy, allowing us to stand beside those navigating the child welfare system with understanding, respect, and dignity. By leading with empathy, we create meaningful relationships that foster trust and healing.
Integrity
We are entrusted with privileged information
when children and families are experiencing vulnerability and instability. We guard the privacy of this information through adherence to intentional protocol of oral and written information both currently and through its historical preservation.
Our Board Officers
Michael Ramos
Board Chair
Terry Alves-Hunter
Board Treasurer
Sylvia Parrott
Board Secretary
Margaret Toner
Board Member
