Bridge of Hope History
Bridge of Hope was founded in 2003, as a direct result of the community needs identified by Beyond the Church Walls Outreach Ministries. Beyond the Church Walls sponsored and conducted outreach ministries (youth service program) for over three years. Bridge of Hope, a community-based organization was birthed in 2003, as Latanya Allen identified the needs of more and more hurting people living in the community. The vision of the organization is to enhance the quality of life of the individuals that we serve. Our organization strives to encourage individuals to cultivate and fulfill their potential and to continue to increase and utilize all of their skills for the betterment of themselves and their families.

Program Director Latanya Allen, formerly a mental health counselor for Charleston/Dorchester Mental Health Center, began counseling youth in 1990. As time passed, Latanya Allen realized the incredible need for a formal youth services program that not only provides a safe place for children and youth to go during after school hours, but also a place where they can develop positive relationships with adults and gain marketable skills. It is also a place that their parents can obtain new marketable skills as well as their GED.

Youth Empowered for Success (Y.E.S.) was founded in 2003 to meet the needs of at-risk youth and their families living in Charleston and Berkeley counties. The purpose of this program is to assist at-risk youth, disadvantaged youth and their parents in achieving self-efficacy, healthy problem-solving techniques and develop new skills and interests. Project YES wants to decrease the amount of individuals in the target area that do not have their high school diploma or GED. The mission of Project YES is to eradicate illiteracy in the twenty-first century.

YES seeks to develop an advisory board made up of parents, business professionals, counselors, and concerned individuals. All persons serving on the advisory board will have a deep-seated interest in the youth living in our community. Because of their own experience with youth in their neighborhoods or churches, all members of the advisory board will be committed to providing programs and services that bring about lasting positive changes in the lives of at-risk youth, disadvantaged youth, and their families.

The year of 2004 marked the first official program year of the YES program. Program components include afterschool tutoring programs, mentoring and self-esteem building sessions, summer camp enrichment programs, character education and teen pregnancy prevention programs and adult & family literacy. Other programs and services offered by Bridge of Hope include programs for battered and abused women, programs to feed the hungry and programs that assist persons being discharged from our penal system.

Bridge of Hope has obtained federal non-profit status 501(c)3

Meet the dedicated members of the Bridge of Hope staff