Blog
Naming our losses, speaking our grief, sharing our stories
Our Rivalry Week Giving Challenge is Live!
For all of you college football fans, Rivalry Week is officially here! On Saturday, November 25th not only will Clemson face-off against South Carolina for the Palmetto Bowl but teams around the country will battle their arch rivals including Alabama vs. Auburn, FSU vs. Florida, North Carolina vs. NC State, & Ohio State vs. Michigan just to name a few. And now you can do more than just wear your gear & cheer – you can get in the game by joining the Rivalry Week Giving Challenge to benefit Bridges of Hope!
Waves of Grief: A Reflection on Life, Loss, Healing & Hope
I will never forget sitting on an airplane in my early twenties, reading my newly discovered copy of Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet. His words bold in my memory, “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled...
Finding Hope One Step at a Time
Meet Tyrell, a brave 13-year-old boy who had to face the unthinkable – the death of his beloved mother after she underwent a kidney transplant and fell ill. With his life suddenly uprooted, Tyrell found himself shuttling between his aunt’s and grandmother’s homes, struggling to cope with his overwhelming grief. In the wake of this devastating loss, Tyrell and his family found solace in…
Leading the Way: Chris Wells
Every organization has dedicated leaders, but Chris Wells takes it to a whole new level. Chris has been leading grief groups at Shannon’s Hope Camp for nearly 30 years! “By giving young people the space to be sad, have fun, make friends, and be in the healing wonder of nature, we not only help them learn important lessons, we learn some, too.”
Making a Difference: Marlena Hamm
Every camp has a huge impact on the children. The way they come to camp shy and quiet, to then mostly being able to share their story is remarkable. The impact the candlelight ceremony has leaves an imprint on my heart each time. If I had to pick one moment that I felt I personally made the biggest difference, it was sitting outside the cabin in the middle of the night with a little girl who couldn’t sleep – her mom had died of drug overdose. My stepdad is an addict, and overdosed many times. So while I couldn’t fully understand how she felt, I could relate to a lot of what she felt and even understood why she felt a sense of relief that it was all over. After listening to her for quite awhile, she was able to go back to bed and get a good night’s sleep…
A Fall Full of Hope
As the seasons change, so can our grief. So, we’ve designed a fall full of activities to empower you & your family to connect & grow. Mark your calendars and plan to join us this season! And as the newest member of the Bridges of Hope, I look forward to meeting you soon.
September…
Standing in the Gap: A Legacy of Compassionate Care
Standing in the gap is a great way to describe most of what was done here at the Hospice Cottage. As clinical professionals, you stood in the gap between pain and comfort. As behind-the-scenes support staff, you stood in the gap between frustration and peace of mind. As volunteers, you stood in the gap between loneliness and comfort. As a donor, you stood in the gap between a stressful ICU and a peaceful home-like cottage for care. As an artist, you stood in the gap between a sterile setting and a place of beauty. Regardless of your role, you stood in the gaps between isolation & community, shock & acceptance, hopelessness & meaning…
Gearing Up for Grief Support
The last 18+ months have been so full of change and loss – loss of normalcy, loss of peace of mind, loss of connection from those we love. And perhaps you’ve heard the warnings that the next wave will be one of grief as we begin to process more fully all that we’ve...
Am I the only one who dreads the holidays?
Yesterday I went to the local home improvement store to get some items for my front yard to make it not look so dreary as autumn sets in and robs nature of its color for a few months. I don't know why I was surprised, but the store was already full of holiday...
There’s No Crying In Camp! (Well, maybe a little…)
We apologize for the absence on the blog, Shannon's Hope Camp happened this last weekend and there was a lot of prepping that monopolized all of our time over here at Bridges! At the end of camp while the few last kids were waiting for their parents, one child said,...