Where is Solidarity Bridge located?
While we serve in Bolivia and Paraguay, our United States office is located in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. View our contact information at the bottom of our website.
Why does Solidarity Bridge serve Bolivia and Paraguay?
As residents of the poorest countries in Latin America, a stunning percentage of the people of Bolivia and Paraguay struggle with little or no access to medical resources. Disease, deformities, and debilitating accidents that are often uncommon or cured at birth in the United States are rampant among the people of Bolivia and Paraguay. For many, our medical assistance provides the only chance for a productive life - or even survival. Our medical programs have grown out of partnerships between U.S. and Latin American medical personnel who are committed to serving the poor while providing the necessary training and equipment to promote lasting change in Latin American medical communities.
For more about Bolivian demographics and quality of life, please visit the World Health Organization’s page on Bolivia or Human Rights Watch’s reports on Bolivia.
For more about Paraguay demographics and quality of life, please visit the World Health Organization’s page on Paraguay or Human Rights Watch’s reports on Paraguay.
What is Solidarity Bridge's relationship to the Catholic Church?
As an organization, Solidarity Bridge is rooted in the Catholic faith, especially in its social justice tradition. The people who make up the organization--including members of our Board of Directors, staff, medical missioners, volunteers, donors, patients, and U.S. & Bolivian partners-- are both Catholics and non-Catholics. We welcome all and serve all, regardless of religious affiliation or any criteria other than their need. We are an independent non-profit (501c3), a mission of the laity, affiliated with the Archdiocese of Chicago but not under its institutional structure.
Who supports Solidarity Bridge?
Like many nonprofits, Solidarity Bridge relies on several expressions of support. Our volunteers give generously of their time, suppliers provide medical supplies and other in-kind goods, and we receive cash donations from individuals, organizations, foundations and corporations. Access our financial information here.
How can I join a mission team?
Can I join a mission team if I'm not a medical professional?
Absolutely. Our teams include interpreters, chaplains, photographers, videographers, bloggers, and helpers in addition to medical professionals such as surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical technicians, nurses, dentists, medical specialists, and general practitioners.
Can I join a mission team if I don't speak Spanish?
Yes, while some of our team members speak Spanish, others do not. That’s where our interpreters come in!
Do I have to be Catholic to join a mission team?
Not at all. While many of our missioners are Catholic, others represent a variety of faith traditions or no faith tradition. In addition, while the majority of the people of Bolivia and Paraguay are Catholic, we serve all eligible patients regardless of their faith tradition.
What happens during a medical mission trip?
Solidarity Bridge sends approximately six medical mission trips to Latin America each year, and five to thirty missioners are recruited to serve on each medical mission team. In a spirit of mutuality, our medical teams work side by side with our Bolivian and Paraguayan partners, learning from each other, and often forming strong bonds of friendship. After a hard day’s work at a local hospital and/or clinics, many missioners spend their evenings leading educational seminars for the local medical community. On a day off, we typically journey to outlying rural areas to explore the beautiful countryside and to gain a better understanding of the local people and their culture, in order to better serve them. Upon our return home, we aim to gather for a debriefing session of reflection, connection, and thanksgiving that brings the mission experience to a close.
Learn more about medical mission trips and becoming a missioner.
What does Solidarity Bridge do besides mission trips?
A lot! Solidarity Bridge has four year-round medical programs that serve Bolivian and Paraguayan people living in poverty. These programs include General Surgery, Gynecological Surgery, Heart Surgery, and Neurosurgery. Our medical mission teams support these programs by training and equipping Bolivian and Paraguayan medical professionals to help them better serve their fellow citizens.
How is Solidarity Bridge's work sustainable?
Solidarity Bridge is committed to promoting lasting change in Latin America. Unlike many medical mission organizations, our primary goal is to inform and equip the Bolivian and Paraguayan medical communities so that, long after our mission teams have returned home, our Latin American colleagues can continue to serve their fellow citizens.
Who is Puente de Solidaridad?
Puente de Solidaridad opened their doors in 2005 to manage our programs and day-to-day operations in Bolivia locally. They are now a legally and financially independent nonprofit, and though we are two distinct organizations, neither of us could succeed without the other.
Puente de Solidaridad is headquartered in Cochabamba. They play a critical role in nurturing our relationships with partner hospitals and doctors throughout Bolivia. In addition to this work, they employ social workers responsible for screening our surgical patients for financial eligibility and for overseeing follow-up care for those who require it, including all pacemaker implant recipients. Puente de Solidaridad manages a supply warehouse that catalogs, stores, and distributes our in-kind donations ranging from high-value surgical instrument trays to gauze and suture supplies, both for mission trips and year-round activities.
Learn more about Puente de Solidaridad and our other partners.
How can I make a donation in honor of someone?
We invite you to make a donation here. If you’d like, we will send a handwritten notecard to the honoree or to his/her family to express our gratitude.
How can I donate my American Airlines miles?
You can help us defray our travel costs by donating credit card points or airlines miles to our mission. Call our office at (847) 328-7748 to learn more about this.
How can I donate medical supplies?
Solidarity Bridge welcomes in-kind donations of instruments and supplies for use during our medical mission trips and by our Bolivian partners year-round. In-kind donations form the backbone of our budget, allowing us to raise the level of surgical services and expand our reach to more patients by lowering local costs. Before making an in-kind donation, please refer to our wish list and contact Jodi Grahl at jodi@solidaritybridge.org or 847-328-7748.
How can I or my company partner with Solidarity Bridge for fundraising opportunities?
We can make any gift go a long way! We have various forms of individual and corporate fundraising opportunities, including event sponsorships, planned giving, and employee gift matching. For more information, contact Rachel McDonnell at rachel@solidaritybridge.org or (847) 328-7748.
Do you have fair trade partners? Where can I buy their products?
Solidarity Bridge has developed fair trade partnerships with Dharma Trading and Greenola Style in an effort to support local Bolivian artisans. Fair trade practices honor the cultural heritage of artisans by respecting their craftsmanship and paying living wages. Read more - and shop - here.
What if I still have questions?
We are happy to answer any other questions you may have. Please contact us here.