As a single mother of three children under the age of three and with another on the way, Kristine needed help. Her time for self-care and just taking care of the basics like cleaning the house or shopping for groceries was non-existent. Something had to give. At Bridges, Respite is a scheduled, monthly break for families based upon a child’s or parent’s need, serving families in Crow Wing County. On occasion, Respite can be scheduled more often, on a case-by-case basis. Respi

This year marks the 10th year that Bridges of Hope has been offering Crisis Nursery Services to the Brainerd Lakes Area. Yes, you read right–TEN YEARS! That’s a decade of giving parents a safe childcare option during a family crisis, which translates into thousands of children placed into the loving care of our selfless providers since the start of the program. So what exactly is Crisis Nursery? It is a safe, positive childcare option for parents that have nowhere else to tur

Child abuse is difficult to think about, but we need to think about it and we need to create a community where parents are supported and children are nurtured. April is Child Abuse Prevention month, another time of year to bring awareness to the struggles parents and children in our community are facing. It’s a time to shine a light on the good work being done to strengthen families. Here at Bridges of Hope, we are proud to partner with Crow Wing County in a state-wide progra

I have the awesome privilege to work for an agency that I love and in a role that is a perfect fit for me. I am an Outreach Worker at Bridges of Hope and I provide in-home support to families that are in complex and challenging situations. One of Anna and Jacob’s biggest strengths was their desire for the betterment of their family and the well-being of their children. Though we all want what’s best, it takes a very strong couple to recognize that “wanting” something is not a

I had the blessing of visiting with Charlotte about her experiences with Bridges of Hope over the last couple of years. Charlotte is a wonderfully warm, compassionate, confident, and strong woman. She didn’t always feel that way, though. A few years ago, low self-esteem and a general feeling of being “lost” had taken their toll on Charlotte. She found herself feeling depressed and alone and spent the next few months trying to get her life back on track. Charlotte told me that

Are you a frantic family?  Do you sometimes wonder if have you have over-scheduled your kids? Now that we are a couple of months into school, there continues to be a multitude of extra-curricular opportunities for our kids to get involved in. Even your preschoolers have more opportunities than ever before! In his book called Putting Families First, Dr. William Doherty states: “In the past twenty years, children’s free time has declined by twelve hours a week, time spent on st

Defeated…worn out…confused. These are some of the words that Cindy used to describe herself and her situation when I first met her. Cindy is a young mom with three small children: Luke, Isabelle, and Nicholas. When she first started working with me, she and her children were homeless and living in a shelter. Cindy was a victim of domestic abuse and made the choice to leave her relationship to make a better life for her and her children, but it wasn’t easy, and she faced many

Callie is a mom of three kids: Damion, Alayna, and Alexa, and is in the process of divorcing from her husband of many years. Even though it was emotionally and financially difficult, Callie’s job had provided her with a wage that had been enough to provide a fairly comfortable living. Callie knew immediately that she needed to find other employment (and began the search) but in the meantime, she had no idea what to do. Rent was due for the month and any savings she and her hu

Over the past two and a half years, I have had the privilege to work with 44 teen parents through our Teen Parent Outreach Program at Bridges of Hope. As the program comes to an end, I am saddened to not continue to work with such wonderful people; however, I am so grateful that our amazing community partner, Crow Wing County Community Services, will continue their great work with teen parents in our community. I’d like to share with you a story written by my counterpart and

Summer is in full swing and many parents may be wondering: When can I leave my child home alone?  As a parent, I remember wondering when it is okay to leave my children home by themselves and for how long. I found it was helpful to ask these questions. Is my child old enough and mature enough to be home alone? Does my child know what to do if there is any emergency? What are the legal guidelines in Crow Wing County? Here are two resources that will be very helpful as you make

“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.” In an effort to spread the word about our mission, Bridges of Hope partnered with the 5th grade at Forestview Middle School to host our Second Annual Building Bridges event on February 3rd. Fifth graders worked together in teams to create a bridge out of 100 popsicle sticks to compete in either the strength or aesthetic

Dustyne and her beautiful children had experienced too much heartache, and Dustyne turned to Bridges of Hope despite feeling nervous and afraid. She recalls: “Things just weren’t adding up. I needed help to stop going in the same circle.” Dustyne With Her Son Derrick Dustyne was connected with our Side by Side Mentoring Program. She had the skills to live a healthy and successful life; she simply lacked the social connections that help everything fall into place. Over the cou

Sally called Bridges of Hope, crying hysterically. She is the mother of three children: Jackie (age 7), Holly (age 5), and Tim (age 3). I had previously worked with Sally for several months through one of Bridges of Hope’s in-home programs,  which is why she asked to speak with me on this particular morning. Sally explained that her 5-year-old, Holly, had been taken to the emergency room the night before because she had been exhibiting very violent behavior toward her two sib

Tom and Kelly were at their wits end. The couple had three children: an eleven-year-old (Kim) and 8-year-old twins (Simon & Cyril). Kim was a handful for both parents, and the twins were quickly following in their older sister’s footsteps. They sought help at the local county Mental Health services division one afternoon, and that’s when they were referred to one of our Family Support Services programs at Bridges of Hope. Both parents were very excited–and just a little appre

Hunger is a very real issue in our community. In fact, at Bridges of Hope, we hear from around 8 households per week who are worried about where their next meal will come from. Summer is just around the corner and many low-income families will struggle with providing food for their childre Brainerd Salvation Army Food Shelf: 218-824-1120 Cuyuna Food Shelf (Crosby): 218-534-9264 Lakes Area Food Shelf (Nisswa): 218-568-8474 Also, please consider attending an important event at

Maggie is a 34-year-old single mother with a 9-year-old daughter named Yasmin. Maggie had been referred to one of Bridges of Hope’s Family Support Services programs, and I first met her at a local domestic violence shelter. Maggie wanted support during her transition from an abusive relationship to an independent, safe life for her and Yasmin. Over three months of working together, Maggie and I met each week, and together we set several goals. The first was to find permanent

Washing Windows! At Common Goods, we are thankful for the hundreds of volunteers who help out every year! Volunteers help us get extra projects done (see photos below), keep the store clean & neat and also raise awareness and bring donations in to Common Goods. Many of our volunteers are local youth who are excited to make a difference in this community. In the last few months, we have had the privilege of serving alongside awesome students from Pillager and Pequot Lakes Scho

She explained that, because her work hours had been reduced lately, she just couldn’t afford the gas money to travel, and, on top of that, one of her little ones was ill. She told one of our workers that she was feeling sad & lonely and was upset that she couldn’t afford the fixings for an Easter dinner or Easter baskets for her children. Even though she knew that’s not really what the holiday is about, she was feeling a loss at not being able to provide for her children. Bec

The Teen Parent Outreach Program is new to Bridges of Hope in the past year. This program is a collaborative effort with Crow Wing County Community Services who approached us last year to help them expand this successful program and work alongside more teen parents (receiving cash assistance) to increase successful outcomes for them and their little ones. There are a number of challenges teen parents face. For example, they are more likely to give birth to low birth weight or

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again. If you have been a supporter to Bridges of Hope this year, you made a difference in the life of a family like Steven and Laura’s. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity. As the year (and our Fall Campaign) draws to a close, we are excited to announce a brand-new development: the Thrivent Financial Foundation will match every new donation, up to $5,000! We are thrilled to share this great new matching funds opportunity with yo