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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