#help

Jan 1, 2019
1 min

Help Needed(!)

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.

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Bridges of Hope

Dec 19, 2018
3 min

A Generous Community

“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

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Partnering With You for a Healthier Community

Bridges of Hope

Nov 1, 2018
2 min

Partnering With You for a Healthier Community

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

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Bridges of Hope

Feb 28, 2018
2 min

Levi’s Moment

“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

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Bridges of Hope

Nov 7, 2017
2 min

Thanksgiving overflows

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” —2 Corinthians 4:15-16 Each year, families in need throughout the Brainerd Lakes Area are able to share a Thanksgiving meal thanks to the generosity of many in our community. Nine years ago, Bridges of Hope began a seasonal campaign pairing donors with families in need each Thanksgiving. Donors provide a turkey and accompanying side d

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Bridges of Hope

Dec 12, 2016
2 min

Diane’s Moment of Hope

[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

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Bridges of Hope

Dec 18, 2015
2 min

Danielle’s Moment

No matter what our “loose ends” might be, I hope we all take more than a few moments to pause, breathe, and prepare our minds & hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. At Bridges of Hope, we are helping individuals and families with more than loose ends. We are proud to do this rewarding, tough, and sometimes heartbreaking work. I want to tell you about one family in particular who is weighing heavily on my mind today. (I’ve changed the details about their

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Bridges of Hope

Dec 1, 2015
1 min

Just Over Four Weeks To Go!

We’re already 4 weeks into our 2015 Bridges of Hope “I Hope” fall fundraising campaign, and we have been blown away by the generosity of so many individuals who believe in the power of this organization–and in the power of how, together, we can make a difference in the lives of countless people throughout our community. As of today, we have raised approximately $18,300! You have dug deep and responded with your heart; and, for that, we say ‘thank you!’ Because of your giving

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Bridges of Hope

Nov 16, 2015
2 min

Baptism by Fire

Tim Holmes’ first day on the job was July 13, 2015 – the morning after a devastating windstorm blew through the Lakes Area – changing the landscape, and countless lives, forever. There was no coffee and donut welcome social. Holmes’ immediately snapped into action, knowing the challenges and hardships being experienced by thousands of residents throughout his service area. “My family had been out for dinner the night before,” Holmes recounted. “When the storm blew through, we

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Bridges of Hope

Aug 2, 2015
3 min

Storm Response: Proud of our Community!

Many of our neighbors were hit by the storm that produced up to 90 MPH straight line winds on July 12th. While some of us had just a few tree branches to rake up, others are currently living in homes with a tarp of the roof, and at least three homeowners have homes that were considered total losses. Bridges of Hope is proud to be participating in a still ongoing effort to care for those in our community who were impacted by this storm. In the days following the storm, we part

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Storm 2015 Relief Efforts & Resource Updates

Bridges of Hope

Jul 14, 2015
2 min

Storm 2015 Relief Efforts & Resource Updates

[Last updated: 7/28/15] Bridges of Hope is helping to coordinate some of the relief efforts following the major storm that hit the Lakes Area on 7/12/15. We will be doing our best to keep this post updated regularly during the clean-up process. Please call our office if you need help at 218.825.7682. We are a ‘small but mighty’ staff and will do our best to connect you with resources. Office hours are 8:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Thursday, and 8:00 am-2:00pm on Friday. Volunteer g

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Bridges of Hope

Apr 20, 2015
2 min

It Shouldn’t Hurt to be a Child

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

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Bridges of Hope

Mar 12, 2015
1 min

Inspiring Hope

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

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Bridges of Hope

Mar 5, 2015
2 min

The Role of Volunteers at Common Goods

Bridges of Hope owns and operates a thrift store called Common Goods, which is located at 16227 Hwy 371 North in Baxter, Minnesota. If you have ever been to Common Goods, you have seen the end result of a very labor intensive process. Behind all of the shimmer, shine, and freshly steamed clothes there is an extreme amount of work that has gone into the final product. Every item that comes through the door at the store is checked, sorted, cleaned, painted, hung or steamed by g

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Bridges of Hope

Jan 21, 2015
2 min

Loving Our Neighbors

At Bridges of Hope, our mission 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. Basically, that’s a fancy way of saying we want to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” Last year, somewhere around 7,000 of “our neighbors” reached out to Bridges of Hope for help (~2,600 households). We live out our mission each day through a range of programming that is designed to meet

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Bridges of Hope

Dec 17, 2014
2 min

Charlotte’s Moment

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

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Bridges of Hope

Nov 20, 2014
3 min

Samantha’s Moment

Samantha and Matthew have three children (Alex, Tanner, & Asher). They have interacted with Bridges of Hope on a few different occasions over the past 7 years. I recently sat down with Samantha to chat with her about her experiences and the difference that Bridges of Hope has made in her life. Q: What was life like “before Bridges?” A: Well, Matthew works full time and is a student full-time, so sometimes I feel like a single mom. He helps when he can, and we are lucky to liv

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Bridges of Hope

Nov 12, 2014
3 min

Irene’s Moment

“Crazy.” –Irene said with a little chuckle. That’s how she described her life before Bridges of Hope. Irene is able to see the joy in her life now, but that was not the case before joining the Side by Side Program at Bridges. Irene A few years ago, Irene was recovering from some family circumstances that had thrown her into deep postpartum depression. She had a very difficult pregnancy, and shortly after her daughter (Mackenzie) was delivered, her fiancé was deployed. Irene w

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She is Clothed with Strength and Dignity…

Bridges of Hope

Oct 23, 2014
1 min

She is Clothed with Strength and Dignity…

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

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What You Might Not Know About the Cold Weather Rule

Bridges of Hope

Oct 10, 2014
2 min

What You Might Not Know About the Cold Weather Rule

As we experience God’s blessings during this fall season, we think about colorful leaves,apple cider, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and other fun outdoor festivities. None of us really wants to think about what is right around the corner…winter (ugh!). Some of us rake our leaves & make room in the garage for the car to be parked. Others put plastic on windows and winterize the air conditioning unit. Some people look forward to winter for the snowy fun it brings, but some of ou

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