Blog

We so grateful to be partnering with the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) by using the volunteering platform Catchafire! CACF is paying for our subscription to the service along with giving us an award of $17,500 through their Community Recovery & Catalyst Grant program! Thank you to the Foundation and also to all of the amazing donors that have given to the Community Recovery & Catalyst Grant program!

For those of you that don’t know Catchafire is a platform where professionals can volunteer for nonprofits and give their time and expertise in the area they are specialized in. If you’re hoping to give back to The BridgeLine or any other charity, take a look at the possibility of donating your time professionally on Catchafire!

We’re so excited to increase the effectiveness of our organization in supporting adults with brain injuries. Thank you CACF and Catchafire for making it possible.

A silver lining of this stay at home order has been that families and individuals have had the opportunity to walk, run, and bike more. We wanted to share this great infographic about bike helmets:

Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of sustaining a head injury while biking by at least 88% Those who do not wear a helmet 4.3X more likely to sustain a fatal injury.

Stay safe everyone!

Dear members, families, and friends of The BridgeLine community:

The progress of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) throughout the world and across our country continues to be the subject of intense interest. The BridgeLine is closely monitoring the latest information on COVID-19 provided by the Thomas Jefferson Health District of the Virginia Department of Health, the WHO, and the CDC.

We have taken measures in accordance with our pandemic response plan to increase social distancing for staff and program participates. We have a phased response plan to react to the latest developments that involves increasingly more stringent measures to provide a clean and safe environment for program participants and staff. There have been few cases in Virginia to date but we expect that to change in the coming days. I want you to know that the safety and security of our program participants, employees, and all families involved is our top priority.

Our plan is dynamic and will be revised as new information becomes available. It addresses the infection control measures we will take prior to and in the event of a local outbreak, and we follow the guidelines of the Virginia Department of Health.

We are fortunate to have outstanding and dedicated staff and we will continue to keep you updated.

Please let us know if you have any questions and we will try to answer them.

Sincerely,

Daniela Pretzer, MD PhD

Executive Director

P.S.

We encourage you to stay informed by seeking accurate information from authoritative sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the WHO, and the Virginia Department of Health. Also, the Thomas Jefferson Health District is operating a hotline (434-972-6261) to respond to any questions or concerns you may have regarding the latest COVID-19 information. The hotline is accepting calls Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Personal infection control measures are very important in preventing and combating COVID-19, as well as all types of flu and influenza. We appreciate your cooperation and partnership in emphasizing the following measures at both home and at The BridgeLine:

• Properly and frequently wash hands.
• Avoid touching nose, mouth and eyes.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or one’s sleeve; follow with hand washing.
• Keep program participants at home when sick.

We’re excited to say we just entered a partnership with VisitAble! VisitAble is a new start-up in Charlottesville that broadcasts accessibility information to answer all mobility-related questions about customer-facing businesses and increases the disability etiquette of the employees in these businesses. They are on a mission to change the world, starting right here in Charlottesville. Check out their website at www.visitable.org, and spread the word!

Heinz Kramp, who died on October 6, 2019, was a truly unique man. Through his positive energy, genuine kindness, and dedication to people with disabilities he inspired freedom and independence in the lives of so many.
Together with some families, he started the well-known Innisfree Village community near Crozet for adults with various mental and physical disabilities. During his time at Innisfree, Heinz learned to appreciate the distinctive needs of people with brain injuries. People who, prior to their trauma, often had professional backgrounds,were the head of a family, a spouse, mother, father, son, or daughter.
Heinz addressed these people’s immediate need for a surrogate family by founding Building a Bridge in 1991 in Charlottesville. The non-profit organization ran three homes with staff providing needed support while living with members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The intimate atmosphere of a family-like life accounted for growth and hope in many people overcoming the unforeseen challenges of brain injuries.
In 2015, the organization merged its services with Virginia NeuroCare (VANC), who ran a pre-vocational training program for members to participate in meaningful and purposeful rehabilitative activities in a community environment.
The merger produced The BridgeLine, which now also provides case management to residents of Charlottesville and 10 surrounding counties in addition to the residential and pre-vocational programs the preceding organizations operated.

https://www.dailyprogress.com/obituaries/kramp-heinz-christian/article_067338bc-7d0b-59b4-b805-c27a3f4dab67.html

Thank you to the Dave Matthews Band for supporting The BridgeLine! BAMA Works funded our music therapy program for this year, we are so grateful! It is fitting that such a musically talented group enables our members to recover and grow through music.