The year is past its midpoint; which means it’s time to check in on where we’re at thus far with programming and services. As of August 28th, we have helped over 900 households (approximately 2,250 people) this year! Here’s what just a few of those we’ve served had to say about their experience with Bridges of Hope: “I’m so glad I called you!” Amy was referred to an agency that helped install grab bars in her tub and shower for her mother, who had recently moved in with her,

Have you ever felt the love of a pet? Their loyalty, support, and fur-covered silliness can keep us smiling through the highs and lows; and for some of us, we end up leaning into the benefits they bring into our lives more than we trust our fellow humans to be able to provide the same. For Paul, his Emotional Support Animal of 7 years had laid the initial foundation for his stability in life. Paul had what most people would consider a “rough life” early on; and as is a common

BRAINERD, Minn. (June 18, 2019) – A surprise presentation to Bridges of Hope by a member of the Brainerd Noon Sertoma Club made a tea party fundraiser that much sweeter. Brainerd Fire Department firefighter Nick Haglin was on hand at the April 6 Afternoon Tea for Hope at Madden’s on Gull Lake to help serve tea to the over 200 in attendance. But, during the program, Haglin switched proverbial hats and donned one as Sertoma Club Vice President to surprise Bridges of Hope Execut

On Saturday, April 6, 2019, nearly 200 women, teens, kids, and of course several area Fire Fighters convened at Madden’s Town Hall Conference Center to enjoy the 5th-annual Afternoon Tea for Hope. This year’s event featured the most popular games & activities from years past, along with a few newer features–2019 marked the second year of an Online Auction, allowing those who were unable to attend the Tea to still support the event from afar. One big surprise this year came fr

In the last seven months, the Self-Healing Communities Project has reached over 1,600 people in Crow Wing County. In case you haven’t heard, the self-healing communities’ model is designed to build a community’s capacity to improve outcomes for health and social issues by reducing and preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The project now has reached into many parts of the community; including organizations, churches, businesses, school districts and various branche

The Brainerd Rotary Foundation recently awarded $2,500 to the Self-Healing Communities Project at Bridges of Hope for the development and implementation of a parent education series to benefit parents of Garfield & Lowell Elementary students. The series will include both Love & Logic parenting classes and Parent Cafes, which are discussion groups providing parents the opportunity for conversations and connection. The Cafe experience focuses on building the five protective fac

One of the ways Bridges of Hope aims to support families and keep children safe in Crow Wing County is through Respite Services. This program provides no-cost, regularly scheduled childcare for families with mental health or behavioral challenges. Respite (usually 24 hours, once a month) allows both parents and children to experience a break from each other. As a result, parents have time to focus on self-care and to address their personal needs, and the break serves to allev

In Lila’s case, she was lucky to find out about her failing furnace during summer, leaving her a cushion of time to figure out how to replace it before falling temps affected her. Lila was aging and on a fixed income with little wiggle room. She did have an adult son, however, who was experienced in HVAC and freely offered to install a new unit- if Lila could find a way to get one. In the very same city, another furnace went out, but now it was September and closer to winter.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” –Albert Schweitzer Bridges of Hope was created to connect people to the resources they need to resolve their situation, empowering them to thrive and gain hope. In 2018, we will serve approximately 1,500 households across the Lakes area, or nearly 4,200 individuals! The only

What do you hope for? For the past couple years, Bridges of Hope has been asking this question to Lakes Area residents as part of our fall fundraising campaign and as a part of our community-building efforts. Our mission at Bridges of Hope is to build bridges of support, anchored in Christ’s love, between families in the Lakes area and the community assets that can help them thrive and gain hope. But we can’t do that without you, the community! The responses we’ve received ov

Single parents have to make difficult decisions all the time, and this was no different for Ella. For example: should she exchange her close to home, full-time but low-paying job with a better-paying one with benefits but located out of town, so that she could work less and spend more time with her daughter? But there was no guarantee until after successfully completing a 9-month probationary period. It was a risk Ella prayerfully took with the hope of providing a brighter fu

Tonight, we celebrate milestones the best way we know how- good friends, good conversation, and of course, cupcakes! Between the seven of us, this small room is packed. Not just with people, but with warmth, smiles, acceptance and understanding. There is no room left for discomfort. These women hold each other up and hold each other accountable. They ask all the right questions to each other; and praise every accomplishment- big or small. This is the definition of support. Th

At its core, Bridges of Hope was created to bridge gaps and connect people to resources; and the newly-launched Self-Healing Communities Project takes that work to the next level. It’s designed to improve health and social outcomes for people by reducing and ultimately preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences, or “ACEs.” Infographic created to share information about what adverse childhood experiences are, how prevalent they are and their impact.Web jpg One of our aims is to

Just as the heat of summer is ramping up, the last thing you want to find is your refrigerator inoperable. Shauna called Bridges of Hope on a hot day in June, frantic and frustrated. She had just spent half the year nesting away every penny she could pinch when disaster decided to strike again, and her fridge stopped working. She had been frugal with her budget and had a small savings for emergencies, but that had been purposed towards a new well for her home which was close

Written by Irene, 2018 Side by Side program graduate, along with Kassie Heisserer. Irene first joined Side by Side in the summer of 2013: a woman determined to face whatever obstacles she needed to in order to to ultimately thrive. (Here’s how things looked when we checked in with her a couple years ago.) Fast-forward about four-and-a-half years, from summer 2013 to January 2018, and our Side by Side program held a “graduation” celebration (a nice group dinner at a local rest

It’s over halfway through the year; a good time to pause and look back on what we’ve done so far in 2018. A quick glance at our database tells me we’ve served over 750 households (~1,950 people) thus far through our 5 different programs; hallelujah! Praise God that there is hope when faced with hardship! I can look at numbers and graphs, trends and changes that speak to the volume of crisis faced here in the Lakes Area; but that doesn’t really breathe light into the ways live

Written by Jenny Holmes & Kassie Heisserer On the heels of announcing a new community collaborative project, Bridges of Hope has announced the addition of two new staff to help support this endeavor: Tom Gonzalez and Amy M. Wyant have been named Project Coordinators to support the Self-Healing Communities Project and will begin their positions in August 2018. Gonzalez joins Bridges of Hope from Pointway Church in Baxter and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Pastoral M

After the birth of their third child, Jess was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She experiences attacks, where the condition gets noticeably worse, followed by times of recovery where symptoms improve.  Her husband, Thom, works full time to support their family, while Jess does what she can to take care of life at home. The youngest two children had their own set of health concerns. Between the two, they have likely spent more time in hospitals than most adults. Seizures ar

Rachel arrived in Brainerd by bus late on a Friday afternoon. She had recently escaped an abusive relationship, and though an order for protection was in place, safety was not yet found as her abuser had begun stalking her. Rachel had no supportive relationships in her hometown, and her closest family lived hours away. Her local Police Department recommended she stay at a women’s shelter and purchased her a bus ticket to get to the nearest one. Although Rachel could only pack

“Shocked” was the emotion Levi used to describe how he felt after reading the notice sent out by his health insurance provider. There had been some kind of error with his premium calculations, so he would have a temporary spike in his monthly premium costs to correct the issue—to the tune of over $500 each month, for three consecutive months. “It felt so unfair–we’re getting penalized for someone else’s mistake.” Like many of us, Levi was not fond of asking for help, and didn