Our History
Hope Bridges Society grew out of an existing program called Project HOPE. This is a therapeutic program, representing the collaboration between the Golden Hills School Division and the citizens of Wheatland County. It became obvious, as the children who were first involved in Project HOPE graduated from school, there were barriers and limitations to their entering the next phase in their lives. For most, there was no college program waiting to welcome them, no immediate job placement, very few opportunities that typical youth look forward to.
This was the beginning for Hope Bridges. A small group of concerned community members held a successful workshop to discuss the issue of bringing change and equality to people with special needs. Taking the information gained at that workshop, this group formed a Board and worked at the practical issues of becoming a Society. As we met and discussed the issues, we realized there were others in our community that were experiencing some degree of marginalization.
We focused a great deal on understanding the harsh realities of isolation and loneliness. All of us can think back to a time when we felt left out. When we felt the sharp sting of not being included. This memory helps us remain focused on our task.
We thought about that universal human desire to “belong.” And, although we could easily agree on how important it was, we knew that for most people with disabilities, social isolation remains the norm. Many people with disabilities are alone except for those people that are paid to be with them. Isolation is present among others as well, including our citizens that are elderly, immigrants, anyone who is perceived as different by mainstream society.
The question then became how to advocate for people in our midst and build a stronger community. How do we impact the hearts and minds of all who live in Wheatland County so that the term “citizen” means not only that you live and vote in this community, but you know you belong and are valued in this community.
We decided the answer lay in the arts.
The arts are a great leveler because we are able to speak in our own unique voice. There is no right or wrong answer.
It is the vision of the Hope Bridges Board to build a stronger community through the celebration of diversity of our community and our contributions.
