Bridgeport is the largest city in Connecticut with a population of over 145,000 people. Incorporated in 1821, Bridgeport is also known as the Park City as it has over 1,300 Acres of Public Park space! Bridgeport has a proud history. We are one of the most diverse cities in the northeast. Not only was it the home of P.T. Barnum, but it was a manufacturing hub that built the first helicopter, had huge contributions during both world wars and was the main factory site for hundreds of companies such as General Electric. We also have a proud history of diversity and inclusion. Abraham Lincoln stopped in Bridgeport to campaign in 1860 where he made an impassioned speech against slavery. In fact, the very year that Bridgeport was incorporated in 1821, a community of freed African-Americans founded a community called ‘Little Liberia’ and part of that still stands! However, deindustrialization has hit Connecticut cities like Bridgeport hard. Although we are in one of the most affluent counties in the United States, we have a poverty rate of over 20%.
Hi! We are Maya and Bodhi. We grew up and live in the great city of Bridgeport, CT and are passionate about equity, inclusion, and reducing disparities especially in healthcare. Connecticut is a state of great wealth and opportunity but unfortunately resources are not evenly distributed, and cities like Bridgeport often do not have the ability to reach their full potential because of this. Our mission with AccessBridgeport is to connect people of this city with powerful information that could be useful to them and their families. Many wealthy communities have information networks in person or on-line that are not designed for or available to outsiders. We can chip away at this disadvantage by empowering ourselves with information. Bridgeport residents deserve nothing less.