BOULDER, June 24, 2021 – Mental Health Partners (MHP), co-manager of the #Boulderstrong Resource Center, and the Colorado Healing Fund are pleased to announce that the Colorado Healing Fund is disbursing $959,100 toward the center’s first-year programming costs, including support for key mental health services.
The #Boulderstrong Resource Center opened a new – and permanent – location this week at 2935 Baseline Road, Boulder, CO, 80303. The temporary center inside the Chase Bank building at 603 S. Broadway closed June 18, 2021.
“This generous contribution by the Colorado Healing Fund allows us to continue providing critical, no cost services to the people most impacted by the March 22 tragedy,” said Kevin Braney, MHP Incident Commander. “For everyone who donated to the Colorado Healing Fund, rest assured the fund is responsibly using the money to help ensure the health and well-being of all survivors.”
The Colorado Healing Fund was established in 2018 as a secure way for the public to support victims of mass casualty events in Colorado in the immediate, intermediate, and long-term. The individuals serving on the nonprofit’s Board of Trustees and Advisory Council have collectively responded to over 50 mass casualty events nationwide. Since activating on March 22, 2021, in response to the Boulder Supermarket Tragedy, the Colorado Healing Fund has collected over $4.4M in donations and disbursed over $2.4M. A Quarterly Report detailing the nonprofit’s response in the first three months has been published on their website: https://www.coloradohealingfund.org/activations/
“It has been truly humbling to witness the level of generosity seen in support of the survivors, families of the deceased, and those immediately impacted by the Boulder Supermarket Tragedy,” said Colorado Healing Fund Executive Director Jordan Finegan. “MHPs’ trained professionals have been working with the survivors of this tragedy since the beginning of the response, and they recognize that people process grief and trauma on their own timeline. We are confident that this funding will go far in meeting the immediate needs of each individual seeking support.”
While the support services and programs at the Resource Center are free, they are expensive to run. Programs include mental health counseling; victim services and victim compensation; massage and acupuncture, spiritual care, and more. Additional donations are welcome and accepted at https://www.coloradohealingfund.org.
“Therapy may not be for everyone, and that is ok,” Braney said. “It’s why we’re offering different types of healing and support services – we’re treating people according to their needs and what they want. It may be a massage, the unconditional love of a comfort dog, or just having someone to listen to them.”
Anyone struggling with the impacts of the March 22 tragic event is welcome to visit the new center to see if any of the healing and support services meet their needs.
“While there is often significant support immediately following a tragedy, the sad reality is that the long-term needs of survivors are often forgotten. This will not happen in Boulder,” Braney stressed. “It takes a community to heal a community, so with the ongoing support and generosity of the Boulder community, the victims and survivors will never be forgotten.”
The Resource Center, which is open to all Boulder residents, has seen the number of visitors grow each day, with many people repeatedly coming in for services.
Contact:
Ed Vasquez at 408-420-6558, or by email at: ed@ejvcommunications.com
Jordan Finegan at 720-235-8638, or by email at: jordanfinegan@coloradohealingfund.org