[Note: Diane graciously allowed us to use her real name and details. Diane: thank you for your courage and generosity!] It has been 27 years since Diane made the life-changing decision to become, and remain, clean and sober. However, despite overcoming this huge obstacle, she continued to fight demons and encounter issues that tested her faith over all those years. Having been raised in the Aitkin area, Diane relocated to the Twin Cities area where she tackled her addictions

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

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

Amazing things are happening at Bridges of Hope, all because of you. Because of you, we are SO CLOSE to meeting the challenge of providing Thanksgiving Meals for 368 households this year–100 more than any year in the past! (Approximately 50 more sponsors are needed for adult households without children. Click here to learn more.) Thank you. Because of you, Bridges of Hope is able to partner with our local landlords, utility companies, local businesses, auto repairs, appliance

Iris’ adult son was able to help with her mortgage once in awhile; and Iris also had good friend, also a widow, with whom she would frequently car pool–but this bill was something that neither could help with. By the time she called Bridges of Hope, Iris was 5 months behind and had accumulated a bill that had nearly reached $1,000. She had been receiving Energy Assistance through Lutheran Social Service over the winter and had been under the impression that it was taking care

You might have noticed that we have fall fundraising goal: to raise $60,000 to support our work with Lakes Area families like Steven and Laura’s. You helped us reach this same goal last year and we pray that you’ll help again this year. Just 19 days into this year’s campaign, this generous community has already donated over $12,000! This year has brought many amazing opportunities to Bridges of Hope, and we’ve faced a few challenges, too. One of our major challenges is the ex

Steven and Laura are parents of two teenagers. When Laura contacted Bridges of Hope, the couple was in the process of adopting their young niece and nephews. To say that Jack, Chloe and Dylan had experienced a difficult childhood would be to put it delicately. Their loving aunt and uncle wanted to provide a safe and loving environment for these sweet children, and this meant their family of four was becoming a family of seven. Steven and Laura’s three-bedroom apartment did no

Family Support Services is a unique program that can be tailored to fit the goals of each family. Staff meet one-one-one with parents in their home and set goals based on each family’s individual strengths and challenges over the course of about three to six months. The goals often include support and resources for things like transportation, catching up on bills and strengthening budgeting skills, establishing childcare, or learning new parenting techniques. Our role is to a

Here at Bridges of Hope, almost 100% of the clients we work with are struggling financially to some extent. One of our main goals when helping a family navigate their way through a financial crisis is to try to prevent the situation from happening again, which can be pretty tough. Most of us can be a bit “stuck” in our financial habits–or don’t even know we have financial habits, let alone knowing how to go about changing them. And I’m the first to admit that in my own life,

This has been an incredible year at Bridges of Hope, where we have been blessed with a multitude of gifts as well as a handful of challenges. We are thankful for both, as we are reminded daily to both be gracious and thankful to Him during good times, and persevere and turn to Him during the difficult times. It reminds us that no matter how well we may plan and prepare, life happens anyway–both in our personal lives and in the lives of the clients we are so privileged to serv

You’ve probably been hearing more and more about online giving over the last couple of years. So had Carl, but I’ll get to that in a minute. There are many benefits to you and to Bridges of Hope when you make your gift online. It’s less expensive, it’s quick, it’s easy, and you get a thank you message and a receipt on the day you make your gift, sometimes even within minutes. At Bridges of Hope we use GiveMN.org as our giving portal. GiveMN is a wonderful nonprofit organizati

Photo by Neree Jackson | Studio You A contribution of $150 supports our work with one family in need. Since 2002, the support from our community has enabled us to change the lives of thousands of families in the Lakes Area–and for that, we thank you. Tim and Sara are young parents. Last spring their son Noah was born prematurely. Tim was employed and Sara had been staying home to care for Noah. The couple was managing okay, even though the medical bills had been adding up sin

There are many families right now facing very difficult times. So many, in fact, that to be frank, I realize many of you have probably grown a little tired of hearing about the tough stuff going on in the lives of men, women and children in our community. I understand. It can wear on us, too. But it got me thinking… What does it really mean to live in poverty in the Brainerd Lakes Area? Well, technically speaking, for a family of four, you are considered “living in poverty” i

Photo by Neree Jackson | Studio You Susan contacted Bridges of Hope asking for help with a Security System for her home. Susan and her husband Michael have two grown children and recently adopted their two grandchildren, Olivia and Madison, ages 3 and 1. Olivia, at age 3, had already been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, a behavioral disorder, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome–a trio of hefty diagnoses for such a little girl. Susan explained that Olivia has trouble comprehending

Andrew, a single father, had been unemployed for about four months, and the utility bills had begun to pile up. He connected with Bridges of Hope after his church had assisted him several times with food and his rent. The social ministry worker at Andrew’s church made the first phone call to Bridges, concerned that they would no longer be able to support Andrew financially, and our staff explained our Financial Resources Program, recommending that Andrew call right away. Andr

Michelle calls Joshua her miracle baby. After a devastating car accident two years ago that had also left Michelle unable to work, doctors had said it just was not possible for her to have children. But Joshua’s arrival last winter proved them all wrong. Though unable to work, the new mom actively volunteered at a local ministry program through her church. Michelle owned a van specially equipped for her disability, but various maintenance needs had gone unrepaired until the v

Jonathon, Sam and Emily along with their parents Charlotte and Rob were homeless—or practically homeless. This family of five had just moved to our area and were living in a burned-out trailer with no heat. It was winter. Charlotte and Rob and their three beautiful children had taken to huddling together on the living room floor in order to stay warm at night. That’s when they found Bridges of Hope. It occurred to me today, that all too often, we beg The story continues...A F

Thankfully, she had been referred to Bridges of Hope by a local food shelf, who knew that Bridges is the coordinator for our community’s unique Thanksgiving Baskets program. Churches, businesses and individuals sign up to sponsor a family’s meal for Thanksgiving, and families in need sign up to receive a Basket. Bridges of Hope matches the sponsors with families, sharing how many people are in the family and where they live, and the sponsor goes out to purchase items for a fu

A Family Service Worker at BoH assisted the couple in applying for county assistance and unemployment, so they would be able to care for their grandchildren. They were approved for both, a great relief for Wally. To resolve their mortgage crisis, the BoH staff contacted the president of the local bank where the couple had their mortgage, to work out a payment plan that was a “win” for all parties. Since the only way to make the payments work would be to reduce the total amoun