We are pleased to announce our decision to focus exclusively on serving the needs of children, teens, & their families grieving a death. Since our origin as Hospice of Charleston back in 1980, we have been providing end-of-life support in many different ways. In 2019 we came to recognize that our well-intentioned mission to address end-of-life issues across the lifespan was too broad & spreading our time & resources too thinly. We needed to narrow our focus to make the systemic change our community needs.
New Mission Statement:
Bridges provides a safe group environment to support & empower
children, teens & their families grieving a death.
So, this decision to narrow our focus from end-of-life broadly speaking to childhood bereavement was the result of a rigorous process of research & community input including expert panel discussions, a stakeholder survey, and extensive board discussions. It also builds on our track record of success through Shannon’s Hope Camp – the country’s 3rd oldest bereavement camp for kids which we began in 1989. Of course, it was a difficult decision to step away from addressing other important end-of-life issues – community education around advance care planning & training for professionals who provide palliative & hospice care at the bedside. However, the Bridges’ Board & Staff believe strongly that this decision honors our 40 year commitment to provide end-of-life support & will enable us, together with you, to make the most deep & lasting impact moving forward!
We are deeply grateful for your engagement & generous support through the years. Our commitment to serving our local Tri-County Region is as strong as ever, so we look forward to a continued collaboration with you to achieve our new vision to build a “community that embraces children & teens who are grieving.” Please don’t hesitate to reach out to talk further about this decision & our exciting journey ahead.