About Bridge Ministries

“To love is not to give of your riches but to reveal to others their riches, their gifts, their value, and to trust them and their capacity to grow.”
    The Broken Body, Jean Vanier

This philosophy illuminates the essence of what Bridge Ministries is all about. Our deep-seated belief in the worth and dignity of every human being is reflected in every aspect of our organization and is expressed well by our Mission Statement.

The Mission of Bridge
Because we honor the God-given dignity and giftedness of persons with disabilities, our mission is to build relationships to alleviate isolation and enrich our churches and community. Please visit this page for more information on the Mission and Vision of Bridge.

The Motivation Behind our Mission
“Disability” is a label that can mean many things to many people. We have learned from people living with this label that for them one of the most painful meanings is the isolation and rejection they experience as a result of other people’s reaction to their disability. Based on the 2000 U.S. census, over 21% of our population (one out of every five persons) struggle with these issues and live with this reality. Often such persons feel the sting of unmet material, social and spiritual concerns. Their gifts are frequently unrecognized and their lives are often unfulfilled due to their isolation and perceived differences. There is a growing need to address these issues due to continuing cutbacks in government services and a growing number of persons having long-term disabilities.

In response to these growing needs, Rev. Henk Wapstra, a Presbyterian Minister, founded Bridge Ministries in 1987. He was deeply touched by the personal pain, the giftedness and the loss to our communities caused by the isolation and exclusion from society of persons with disabilities. He felt called to respond to these needs and did so by establishing Bridge, a non-profit ecumenical Christian-based ministry, dedicated to building relationships of respect in our communities for persons who have physical and developmental disabilities.

Today Bridge has a staff of nine, a nine member volunteer Board of Directors, and over 380 additional volunteers responding to this same call to ministry. Visit History to see how Henk's vision unfolded.

Who and Where Bridge Serves
Our particular focus is on adults who have physical and/or developmental disabilities and their family members. We serve the greater Puget Sound area in Washington state.

Bridge ’s services to individuals and their families, churches and community include:

• Pastoral Care - Our experienced Chaplains have received special training that gives them unique insight and expertise in supporting persons with disabilities, their families, caregivers and volunteers. Persons are assisted as they reflect on their relationship with God, themselves and others. Our goal is to support people as they explore the meaning of their life experiences, seek to build relationships in the community and reach for their hopes and dreams. We also help in connecting with community resources. Visit Pastoral Care for more information.
• Circles of Friends - A Circle of Friends is a small gathering of individuals who build a relationship with a person who has a disability in order to offer friendship, practical help, encouragement and affirmation of that person’s abilities, hopes and dreams. Each Circle Facilitator is trained and supported by Bridge staff. Visit Circles of Friends for more information.
• Guardianship Program - Bridge serves as legal guardian for 45 persons, who have developmental disabilities, little or no support from family, and limited financial resources. We provide unconditional loving support by monitoring the living situations of each person during our monthly home visits and by advocating for the person regarding their financial and medical matters as well as involving each individual in community activities and relationships. Visit our Guardianship page for more information.
• Durable Medical Equipment Program - Staff and volunteers work together to clean and refurbish donated durable medical equipment to give free of charge to persons with disabilities who cannot afford to purchase it. The right equipment gives the person mobility, independence and connection in the community. Visit our Medical Equipment page for more information on this ministry.
• Volunteer Ministries - Our Volunteer Ministry connects people and calls forth gifts their gifts. Bridge has over 380 volunteers involved in all aspects of our ministry. For more information on Volunteering, visit this page.
• Church & Community Enrichment - Bridge serves churches and community groups as they seek to fully involve persons with disabilities and build relationships of respect. We form ongoing partnerships with a church or community group to help them explore the unique opportunities of their community. We then help in connecting with resources, provide disability awareness education and mentoring support to the leadership teams in their relationship building efforts. Visit our Church & Community page for more information.
• Events - Social activities that provide opportunities to build friendships, community connections, and spiritual encouragement include our monthly Sunday Evening Celebrations hosted by local area churches, an annual Rock ‘n Roll Dance and our Benefit Dinner. For more information visit our Events page.

Funding and Fees for Bridge’s Services

Because the people we serve often have a low income, we do not charge for our services or the medical equipment given out.

Bridge is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit ministry supported by contributions from individuals, churches, businesses, grantors, service groups, and special fund- raisers. Visit these pages for more information on our Funding Sources or if you would like to Donate or Volunteer.

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