The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center (VSRC) has been serving survivors, community members, and emergency responders of Route 91 since day one through a collaboration of local, state, and federal funding. One of the funding streams providing resources for our Route 91 community has been through the AEAP (Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program) grant. This grant…
The 1 October Memorial Committee has been diligently working for several years to design and implement an inclusive process for the creation of a permanent memorial to honor the victims and survivors of the 2017 mass shooting that devastated so many lives and deeply impacted the entire Las Vegas community. The Journey Here In October…
“Vegas Strong” is a phrase filled with meaning for each of us at United Way of Southern Nevada. It stirs bittersweet emotions of remembering those who are no longer with us and a sense of pride that we live in a community that demonstrates continuous support for everyone affected by 1 October. United Way of…
June is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month in the United States, which is meant to raise awareness about PTSD and provide support to those who are affected by it. PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, such as the event at the Route 91 Harvest Festival…
With warmer spring weather and the promise of summer yet to come, May is the perfect month to renew our focus on mental health. Mental Health America (MHA) joins the celebration this year with a new theme (Look Around, Look Within) encouraging us to consider the effects our unique environment—the places we live, work, play,…
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week began in 1981 and a lot has happened in communities across the nation to elevate the voices of crime survivors since then. The 2023 theme—Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.—challenges communities to examine whether or not their crime survivors are heard, believed, and supported when they come forward. If we…
Starting at the Beginning From the moment we are born, our brains store and acquire memories, knowledge, sounds, and more to ensure that they will keep us safe. Once something terrible, painful, or scary happens to us, our brains use a lot of energy to help us escape that situation. Once we aren’t in danger…
As the sun was rising the morning of October 2, 2017, I knew deep down that I needed to do something to help myself and others heal from the horror we had just experienced. I wasn’t exactly sure what that looked like, but knew I wasn’t equipped to do it on my own and I…
Among the many traditions, New Year’s is the time when many people decide to remember the good things that happened in the past year and get ready to create goals or resolutions for the coming year. Although this is one of the most common traditions when someone has experienced a traumatic event, it’s hard to…
“Happy Holidays” seems innocuous enough, a simple greeting we frequently use beginning in early December through the new year to greet loved ones and strangers alike. Even with all of our cultural and religious differences, it seems everyone celebrates something during this time. Schools provide a large winter break, employers often throw holiday parties for…