Blog
Naming our losses, speaking our grief, sharing our stories
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,...
What is your story?
I am a big sports fan, I watch all of it. What I love most about watching any sort of athletic broadcast is learning the back stories of the athletes--learning what they went through to get to where they are today. During Monday Night Football this week, there were...
My Last Days, Claire Wineland, & Living Life to the Fullest
If you feel as if your life could use a jumpstart or just want to be inspired, I would encourage you to head over to YouTube and click play all on the "My Last Days" playlist. "My Last Days" is a docu-series created by SoulPancake (the people behind Kid President...
We all need to plan ahead
The last couple weeks have brought several high-profile deaths to the forefront of our newsfeeds and conversations. The loss of Aretha Franklin was not only a big one for the music community, but also for her loved ones. What was shocking for me to learn was that she...