Learn & Support

It is our deepest hope that by telling the inspiring stories of the people behind these wonderful endeavors, others will rally to support them and gain a greater sense of appreciation for our river towns. Through that heightened love, gratitude, and connection, we believe we can generate the recognition, affection, loyalty, and economic support necessity to resist overdevelopment and the loss of our towns’ genuine charm and character.

Our History & Future

The River Bridges is the brainchild of author Jill-Arcangela Mancuso. Conceived in 2016, Jill-A. was unable to secure a photographer willing to donate time and effort to the project until one fateful morning at youth sports in Solebury, 2019. One of Jill-A.’s sons was talking to a friend from school. The boy’s parents approached to introduce themselves. Feeling like there was something important about this connection, Jill-A. asked Kristina Gibb (D’Amico) what she did for a living. When Kristina replied she was in photography, Jill-A. invited her to a future conversation about the project. Kristina met with Jill-A. and The River Bridges project with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication.

The first story was Whimsical In Wismer, a business Jill-A. had recently stumbled upon. With no particular format, plan, or expectation, the two set out to improv their first interview. The afternoon was lovely, and the piece was a success. In the next two and half years, the women’s aspirations for TRB would be challenged by Covid, a pregnancy, and eventually a baby. By the start of 2023, however, Jill-A. and Kristina had new freedom, new energy, and a full schedule.

With more connections being made and more subjects being collected, the future looks long and full of excitement. As the project grows, Jill-A. and Kristina are making plans for art openings, gallery events, vendor events, and even a coffee table style, hardback collection of works. The two could not be more thrilled with the trajectory of this project or the doors they will be able to open for their community members with it.

Support The River Bridges

The River Bridges is a passion project. Neither Jill-A. or Kristina are compensated in any way for their time. They offer their vision, voice, images, and platform to these subjects as a way to promote local business and advance their community. While no funds are generated by their work, it does cost money to run the blog. Aside from the hours of effort that go into each piece, things like web domain, platform fees, business cards, travel expenses, childcare, and so forth all come out of pocket.

Thus, TRB has decided to welcome donations to help offset these expenses. If you would like to donate to the platform, please do so knowing that your contributions help make this happen, and that is a kindness that extends beyond TRB to all the businesses TRB helps support through their work.

A portion of every dollar goes to next-generation carbon removal. And, don’t forget your donation is tax deductible!

Thank you!