lizrose, Author at Strength After

Flying W Ranch plans to reopen in 2018

VIA The Denver Post | May 13, 2017

A lot of people would have thrown their hands up and walked away.

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1-800-985-5990

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL Callers: To connect directly to an agent in American Sign Language, Click the “ASL Now” button below or call 1-800-985-5990 from your videophone. ASL Support is available 24/7.

For over 60 years, the Flying W Ranch was a thriving tourist destination in Colorado Springs. But in 2012, the historic ranch was destroyed by a wildfire and just a year later, it was flooded. Owner Leigh Ann Wolfe is determined to restore her family’s legacy, and she started by helping protect and restore her larger community even before she started rebuilding her own property.

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Interview with Melanie

VIA Disaster Distress Helpline | October 28, 2016

Safety and security are so important to the healing process.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

For many people, nothing quite compares to the comfort of petting and cuddling a friendly dog. That’s why Melanie Dunbar and Gus are such a great duo—they’re a certified dog-and-handler team trained to respond to natural disasters and human-caused crises. Two weeks after an elementary school shooting, the pair visited classrooms to help reestablish a sense of safety and security. And while the students loved Gus, what Melanie remembers is a teacher who sat down on the floor with him between classes. She was finally able to express all the emotions she had controlled while trying to be a source of strength for her students.

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Interview with Simone

VIA Disaster Distress Helpline |

You are part of something greater.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, large construction vehicles clearing away the wreckage was not an uncommon sight. But what might have stuck out to the average onlooker was a giant, pink excavator tractor with “Demo Diva” emblazoned on its long neck as it scooped away debris. That impressive machine belongs to Simone Bruni, who found healing by helping her New Orleans neighbors recover. Connecting to her community and making a difference helped pull her out of the loneliness she felt after the storm.

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Interview with Jalen

VIA Disaster Distress Helpline | October 26, 2016

There’s better that can come after a tragedy.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

Bishop Jalen Whittleton and his wife were newlyweds when they nearly lost everything by a flash flood in Columbia, South Carolina in the fall of 2015. As a religious leader, Jalen finds deep inspiration and comfort from the people around him. In particular, he focuses on helping men talk about and process their feelings after the disaster.

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2016 Orlando Nightclub Shooting

For A Survivor Of One Club Shooting, Orlando Brings Bitter Memories

VIA NPR | June 26, 2016

You have got to be strong. Don’t let something like this ruin your life because it could’ve ruined mine.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

The shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Night Club in the summer of 2016 was the deadliest mass shooting in American history, but it wasn’t the first time someone intentionally set out to kill gay people in LGBTQ spaces. In Virginia 16 years earlier, a man walked into a gay-friendly bar and shot 7 people, killing a man named Danny Overstreet. A group of Danny’s friends were there that night, and Joel Tucker was one of them. He talked about the fear he felt immediately after the event and how it’s shaped his life today, especially in the days after the Orlando shooting.

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Out Of Ashes, An Unwavering Resolve: ‘That’s The Legacy. We Never Ran Away’

VIA NPR | June 24, 2016 Audio Story

That’s the legacy. We never ran away.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

In 1973, someone set fire to a gay bar in New Orleans, killing 32 people trapped inside. Recovery for survivors of what was the deadliest fire in New Orleans history wasn’t easy—local leaders were largely silent on the event or even outright cruel. Rev. Troy Perry traveled to New Orleans to support the LGBTQ survivors, including ensuring there was a proper memorial service for those who were killed. Despite the fear of being outted and all the potentially devastating consequences that came with that, the LGBTQ commnity came together to mourn their losses and support one another.

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Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

How One Sandy Hook Survivor Is Moving Forward 3 Years Later

VIA Yahoo News | December 14, 2015

The things that happen to us don’t have to define us.

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1-800-985-5990

Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis was a quick-witted teacher who saved the lives of her first-grade students during the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. But that experience left her struggling to regain a sense of safety, and she had so many unanswerable questions about why things unfolded as they did. Kaitlin says her healing began when she decided to focus on questions she could answer—especially about how to move forward and define life on her terms.

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Charleston Church Shooting

Charleston Church Shooting: How These Five Survivors Are Guiding America Toward Compassion and Tolerance

VIA Glamour | October 29, 2015

To have hatred in our heart, we can't give him that power.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

In 2015, a white supremacist entered one of America’s oldest and most storied black churches and shot 9 people to death. Despite the racially charged terror (which was intended to ignite a race war), the congregation stood strong in their conviction of love triumphing over hatred. Facing the man who killed the people closest to them, 5 women in particular expressed both their anger and hurt as well as their decision to choose forgiveness. They led their community and their country in refusing to retaliate with violence and instead seeking out opportunities for connection and understanding.

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These cuddly teddy bears deliver a dose of delight to kids in refugee camps.

VIA UPWorthy | September 15, 2015

Perhaps there was something universal about the comforting quality of a stuffed animal.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

A year after Haiti’s massive earthquake in 2010, Steve Lehmann visited the country and observed the profound effect the disaster had on local children. After working with refugees in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda as well, he wanted to make a difference in restoring comfort and stability to kids recovering from disasters. He founded Threadies, a company that now provides stuffed bears to children affected by humanitarian emergencies around the world.

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Hurricane Katrina

In New Orleans’ Hardest-Hit Neighborhood, A Recovery — By Sheer Will

VIA NPR | August 21, 2015 Audio Story

The very first customer cried 'cause she said she never thought the Lower Ninth Ward was coming back.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

Nearly a decade after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, residents of the Lower Ninth Ward were still struggling to get back on their feet. Businesses had been destroyed, and getting basic necessities like groceries required taking 3 busses. Veteran and father Burnell Cotlon decided someone needed to fix that—and that someone was him. He saved money earned working at fast-food restaurants and dollar stores to buy an incredibly dilapidated building on an empty block. After many a 15-hour day, he turned that building into the area’s first grocery store post-Katrina. And he’s committed to rebuilding his community one business at a time.

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