About Us

We are your friends and neighbors in Sublette County who are concerned and passionate about local issues of poverty. We have a dream that our community can be a place where everyone has a chance to thrive and live self-sufficient lives.

  • Sarah Murdock

    Chair (January 2019 to Present)

    My family and I moved to Pinedale in 2011. Since then, I have been active in the community as a homeschooler, member of the Food Basket board, the Prevention Coalition, Church of the Resurrection, and various activities. I enjoy getting people together, whether it is over a meal, Shakespeare, hiking, singing or cross country skiing. Since the first Community Bridges training in 2017, I have been a part of creating Bridges of Sublette County in order to provide Bridges Out of Poverty training and classes locally. I am currently facilitating a third Getting Ahead class and love to see Bridges in action. I am grateful for the support of my husband, Matt, and our three kids.

  • Michele Costello

    Treasurer (December 2021 to resent)

    My husband Shane and I have lived in Pinedale since 1992. We are so happy to be a part of this community and are thankful for the village that has helped us raise our two adult children, Tayln and Jordan, and Braxton, who is in the 8th grade. I was a Pinedale Middle School teacher for the first part of my career. Now, my husband and I are business owners who enjoy being involved in the community as much as we are able. I am proud to call Sublette County my home.

  • Janel Scurlock

    Secretary (June 2020 to Present)

    My husband and I moved to Pinedale in 2001. We have two daughters, two dogs and three horses. I love spending time outside and treasure the wide open spaces of Sublette County. I am a lifelong educator and have served this community in the role of teacher, administrator, board member and advocate for underserved populations. I am honored to be part of Bridges of Sublette County so I can positively influence our community by helping underserved populations access resources and break down barriers.

Our Story

In 2017, Bridges Out of Poverty of Sublette County (Bridges) began in Pinedale, Wyoming after a Bridges Out of Poverty community workshop. Over the next few years, several people who attended that workshop formed a board of directors and in 2020 created a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Bridges board members pursued additional Bridges Out of Poverty training for the purposes of educating community members, health professionals, business owners and civic leaders on issues related to poverty.

In 2020, board members provided training workshops to business owners and health professionals. In 2021, the first Getting Ahead (GA) class was launched, graduating 8 “Investigators.”

During the spring of 2023, Bridges completed its fourth Getting Ahead class. In the same year, Bridges offered its first Money Matters 101 class. This course provides financial literacy education to GA graduates, covering the basics of banking, budgeting, income/expense tracking, reading credit reports, credit counseling, debt management, and improving credit scores. Eight completed the course. To-date, 26 investigators have graduated from Getting Ahead.  A number of them participate in monthly Staying Ahead gatherings where GA graduates meet to encourage one another, meet members of the community, engage in activities that keep them motivated, and work on building their resources.

Bridges sponsors workshops in the community to increase awareness of poverty issues in Sublette County, improve understanding of poverty in general, and encourage greater cooperation between existing service organizations and interested community members. Our goal is to create a Bridges Community where everyone understands the Bridges constructs and can engage effectively with all members of the community. We have had participants from the schools, Public Health, the Sheriff’s Office, counseling services, DFS, banks, lawyers, the drug court, the Town of Pinedale, SAFV, the Pinedale Community Food Basket, local businesses, Enroll Wyoming, and churches.

In 2025 Bridges began monthly Coordinated Care meetings for people from social services, nonprofits, and any interested individuals to network, collaborate, and find ways we can improve serving our community.

We are part of the Foundation 23 annual fundraiser in September. We seek grants throughout the year to fund our various activities.

Bridges is a unique organization in Sublette County. We are the only entity working directly with people in poverty in a way that gives them tools to write their own future stories and begin to see their dreams come to pass by enabling them to build resources. No other organization teaches the differences between the mentalities and perspectives of the various economic classes to understand why there are conflicts and misunderstandings between employers and employees, teachers and parents, social service providers and clients, etc. What we offer is critical to making this a community where everyone can thrive, where everyone is respected, where everyone has a voice, and where everyone feels he or she belongs.