Because of Eleanor Roosevelt, the name Eleanor evokes a woman of strength and character, and that is fitting for Eleanor Horn, a community volunteer in West Hartford working on behalf of young people—her passion—for more than 40 years.  Eleanor has been a volunteer at The Bridge Family Center for 24 years and a member of the Board of Directors for nearly 20 years.  For the past 20 years, she has single-handedly organized and run a Holiday Craft Fair at The Hartford Insurance Company that has brought in $2-3,000 annually for Bridge programs for young people and families.

 Eleanor leads an active life: she is mother to two successful young women, an avid tennis player, hiker and camper, a world traveler, and eats lunch out with more friends than one could keep track of, but in her spare time she devotes herself to efforts that support kids.  She is an excellent role model for our young people.   

 Eleanor has served as a mentor in “A Bridge Across Ages,” an intergenerational mentoring program for young people ages 11 to 14 that is funded by the Governor’s Prevention Initiative for Youth and the CT State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.   Since 1994, she has volunteered as a mentor in The Bridge’s Leadership Project, a program designed to help sixth graders develop their leadership skills as they transition into their adolescent years.  She immersed herself in all aspects of the program, including ropes course activities, canoeing, and caving—she even dislocated her shoulder during one caving excursion.  Eleanor has chaperoned countless middle and high school dances.

There’s hardly a planning committee at The Bridge that Eleanor hasn’t served on—the Tune-In to Life committee, to plan an annual week of events to educate the community about substance abuse and provide alternative activities for all ages; the Family Fun Run committee; and The Mayor’s Charity Ball committee.  She helps us prepare for the annual Bridge Breakfast, Volunteer Event, and Annual Meeting.  A few days a week, she assists the administrative staff at The Bridge, answering phones, preparing mailings, copying, collating, and delivering around town.  She stops by The Bridge after a tennis game and says, “What can I do?” or “How can I help?”  She takes over the front desk when the secretary is out sick or on vacation.

All of us at The Bridge—staff, board, and kids alike—have come to love Eleanor.  She takes the time to ask about your life and your day—and waits to hear your response.  We are all sponges for her wisdom.  She is a hands-on person, a doer, always willing to lend a hand, even when it means carrying cartons of snacks for youth groups up and down three flights of stairs.  It is a kick to be on a committee with her, because you can feel her impatience, watch her roll her eyes, as the talking goes on too long and she wants to get to the action.  But she has a bottomless pit of patience when there’s something to be done that will make a difference in the lives of young people.  Eleanor is honest, up-front, a “what you see is what you get” kind of person.  She has an awesome sense of humor.  She doesn’t like to be the center of attention, but we relish the opportunity to put her there.

In 1994, The Bridge selected Eleanor as the recipient of its “Build No Fences” Award, given annually to an individual who provides support for young people and their families.  In 2000, The Bridge nominated Eleanor for the Noah Webster Award presented annually by the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce in recognition of extraordinary commitment to the West Hartford community.  She won.  In 2001, Eleanor received the Advocate for Youth Award given annually by the Connecticut Youth Services Association.

Margaret Hann, Executive Director of The Bridge Family Center, said, “The greatest gift one person can give another is one’s time.  Eleanor gives her time freely to young people.  I was very close to my grandmother.  I consider her presence in my life one of my greatest gifts.  All young people deserve to have a special closeness with someone other than a parent.  The many young people in Eleanor’s life are truly getting a great gift.”

In the summer of 2002, Eleanor moved to Los Angeles to be near her daughters.  All of us at The Bridge Family Center  miss her warm and wise presence.  We wish her luck and good fortune in her new home.  

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