Dear Friends,

For 8 years, Bridge Community Acupuncture, a woman‑owned and operated, trauma‑informed clinic, has offered low‑cost, sliding‑scale alternative medicine to the St. Petersburg, Largo, Clearwater, and other Tampa Bay communities. We’ve been honored to provide accessible healing using acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to thousands of people.

This year has brought unexpected challenges. In May, our founder and guiding force, Melissa, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Over the past 5 months, she has continued working while undergoing chemotherapy, showing incredible resilience and devotion to Bridge and the community we serve.

On December 15th, Melissa will undergo a mastectomy and lymph node removal. Her recovery will take at least 2 months, during which she will not be able to work. As she heals, Bridge still needs to cover monthly operating expenses to continue serving the community in the ways that we have for the last 8 years.

✨ This is where we need your help. ✨

Your donation will directly support the clinic’s bills and ensure that our mission of accessible, affordable, effective care continues without interruption. Every contribution — large or small — is a vital act of solidarity.

Together, we can sustain Bridge CA through this transition and honor Melissa’s vision of community healing.

Please consider donating today to help get through this difficult time.

See the full story of Bridge Community Acupuncture, Thrive Wellness Studio and Melissa's mission and vision below.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Melissa’s Family &

Bridge Community Acupuncture Team

HISTORY AND VISION OF BRIDGE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE

A Vision Rooted in Healing. Grown in Community.

Bridge Community Acupuncture was born from a vision of healing, accessibility, and connection. In 2013, while working at St. Pete Community Acupuncture, I witnessed the transformative power of community acupuncture. The clinic’s open-room model and sliding scale made healing accessible to all, and the shared energy created a sense of belonging that stayed with me. After four years immersed in that environment, I knew my own community needed something similar.

In 2017, fresh from earning my Master’s in Social Work—and carrying the weight of increased student loan debt—I took a leap of faith. With my five-year-old son starting kindergarten and my husband’s steady support, I opened Bridge Community Acupuncture in a modest half-unit space. It was my first step into founding a clinic rooted in service to making alternative, holistic healing affordable to underserved population in my community.

The mission had been quietly forming for years. It lived in the moments I saw people soften into healing, in the shared breath of a compassionate treatment room, and in the deep belief that wellness and access to whole body healing should be available to everyone—regardless of income or circumstance.

Growing Through Challenge

As word spread, Bridge began to grow. By 2019, I envisioned expanding into the adjoining unit to create space for movement, support groups, and additional healing modalities. I was seeing more and more clients struggling with complex health challenges—chronic stress, trauma, autoimmune conditions, and the toll of life transitions. It became clear that healing required more than treatment—it required trauma-informed, holistic care that honored the nervous system and the whole person within a safe environment that encourages visibility and support.

When COVID hit in 2020, we weren’t sure Bridge could survive. But thanks to our small, low-rent space and a loyal, growing community, we stayed open. That same year, Jill joined our team, allowing us to expand our hours and deepen our impact.

In 2021, Melonie reached out, eager to join our mission. Just weeks later, in a moment of synchronicity, Unit 5, a full size unit, became available. We expanded again—adding evening and weekend hours, private treatments, and counseling services as I completed my LCSW licensing. Bridge was thriving.

The Birth of Thrive Wellness Studio

In 2023, Unit 6 opened up. Though we didn’t yet have the means to expand, the seed was planted. I envisioned a sanctuary for movement, energy healing, and community gatherings—a space where healing could be collaborative, creative, and deeply nourishing.

By fall 2024, the opportunity to secure Unit 6 returned, and I said yes. But just weeks later, two hurricanes struck our community, bringing hardship and stalling our momentum. Then, in May, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Between July and October, I completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy. My energy turned inward, focused on my own healing.

Still, over the last year, Thrive began to take shape. We hosted weekly yoga classes, welcomed Maureen—our gifted massage therapist—and offered Yin Yoga with Wendy through the summer. My Thrive Women's group grew and transitioned into an energy healing workshop.

Throughout the year, Thrive Wellness Studio has shifted and reshaped itself, responding to the moment.

A Vision Still Alive

Though my recovery has slowed our outward expansion, the vision for Thrive Wellness Studio remains alive in my heart. I imagine a vibrant, inclusive sanctuary where healing is accessible, diverse, and deeply rooted in nervous system safety and expansive energy healing techniques that bring about deeper transformation in clients.

With your support, Thrive can grow into a space that offers:

- Sound Healing: regular sound baths and private sessions to restore inner harmony

- ✨ Energy Work: Reiki, Shamanism, and other modalities to support emotional, energetic balance, and deep soul healing.

- ‍♀️ Movement: weekly yoga and embodied practices to ground and connect

- Education: nutrition and herbal medicine classes, Energy Healing workshops, and CEUs for providers.

- Community Events: eclipse weekend retreats, solstice ceremonies, and special gatherings to celebrate our collective healing and evolution.

Why Your Support Matters

Taking on the additional rent for Unit 6 during a year of personal healing has been a leap of faith—and a financial stretch. As I approach surgery and many unknown timelines of recovery, I remain deeply committed to sustaining Bridge and nurturing the full vision of Thrive.

Your support helps us:

- Keep acupuncture and Chinese Medicine affordable for low- and fixed-income clients

- Expand trauma-informed, holistic services that honor nervous system safety and whole-body healing

- Build a healing sanctuary where everyone feels safe, seen, and supported

Every donation helps us bridge the gap and bring this vision to life.

Together, we can make healing in our community more accessible, more inclusive, and more powerful than ever before.

With so much love and sincerity,

Melissa Lahmeyer, AP, LCSW, owner and vision keeper