Church & Community Enrichment

“People are yearning to rediscover community … [persons with disabilities] have an incredible capacity for creating community and bringing people together.”
    Brokenness to Community, Jean Vanier

Our lives and relationships are often defined and built around what we can do. Performance, productivity, capacity seem to be the main building blocks of our communities. In this environment persons with disabilities often feel left out, isolated and undervalued. Their gifts and capacities are underused or ignored. But the truth is that all of us are devalued in communities built on performance and competition. The yearning of persons with disabilities for community invites all of us to discover our own yearning for communities that accept us for who we are, weaknesses and all.

The mission of Bridge is to address this yearning for community in all of us. Our goal is to help build relationships that alleviate isolation and enrich our churches and community.

Bridge serves churches as they seek to fully involve persons with disabilities in their congregations by:

Church Connections Project: Our Bridge staff and a "Core Team" of experienced volunteers are willing and prepared to form partnerships with area churches to help them in their efforts to more fully involve persons with disabilities in their congregation. For more information about forming such a partnership visit our Church Connections Project.

Bridge serves community groups in their relationships with persons with disabilities by:

• Building relationships of respect between individuals
• Enriching awareness about individuals with disabilities through personal contact and presentations to community leaders, service clubs and professionals
• Collaborating with other disability related organizations
• Supporting volunteer facilitators for Circles of Friends
• Promoting Friend-to-Friend relationships

If you would like to explore the possibility of forming a Bridge partnership with your church or community group please e-mail Donna at donnaw@bridgemin.org

If you are interested in making a tax-deductible contribution to Bridge, please visit our Donate page for more information.

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