Blogs

Seated on a child-sized chair, Brooke Martin looks right at home. That’s intentional, she said. Martin is a social worker with the Walla Walla office of Child Protective Services. While her office is under the umbrella of Washington state’s Division of Children and Family Services, she works in the Walla Walla Police Department’s headquarters right next to a child-friendly forensic interview room. That’s the spot where most troubled kids 13 and younger in Walla Walla County end up talking...

Friends of Children of Walla Walla focuses on the well-being of children in the area, by providing school- and community-based programs that help youths socially and academically through one-on-one relationships. “We are purveyors of hope and resilience for kids,” said Jim Byrnes, executive director. Many children have adverse childhood experiences, called ACES, including verbal and physical violence, poverty, neglect, bullying and more. And many parents have their own set of emotional ACES...

To see the conference agenda, list of all-star speakers, and to register go to: http://www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org/california-2018-conference/

What can be better than dinner together and mindful art as a way to express our feelings! Walla Walla families left with smiles on their faces and wet canvases in hand after spending a delightful two hours with Brigette Phillips https://www.facebook.com/mindfulart2016/ and the CRI Team, creating beauty. Breathing buddies, feelings charts, and "how do I feel" were additional activities available for the children (one youngster actually drew 28 "faces" of how he feels!). Thanks to Brigette for...

It was a great honor to be recognized by the Walla Walla County Commissioners for our community-wide work in mobilizing action for a resilient community. This is the first proclamation by the county, and it was initiated through the efforts of Michael Bates, director of the Department of Court Services, Juvenile Justice Center (JJC). Mike has been involved throughout the development of Walla Walla's response to ACEs through resilience, and was one of the first partners to implement...

If you follow our blog, you know we are celebrating "October as Resilience Awareness Month." One event which took place last night taught me the value of positive attitude, a stiff upper lip, and how to have fun while in the brainstem! Valley Residential Services, one of our strong CRI partners, had their "Dancing with the WW2 Stars." Nancy Riggle, VRS Executive Director, asked me to help out. How do you say "no" to someone like Nancy? You don't!! I chose neither the song, the dance, the...

The kick-off event for our Resilience Awareness community campaign started with the Mayor Allen Pomraning signing a proclamation at the Walla Walla City Council session September 27th. The Proclamation noted CRI's focus on the help, healing and hope that comes when a community understands the impact trauma can have, and how together, we support each other by building stronger connections across all domains and sectors. With a yard sign in hand, members of the CRI planning team celebrated...

Our 5th Community Campaign celebrating Resilience and community capacity building kicks off with our first ever Yard Signs! "Got Resilience?" signs will pop up all town, helping to increase curiosity and attention to the word itself, and to our work. The City of Walla Walla proclaims October as Resilience Month in our kick-off ceremony. Our Commitment Letters from partners and agencies are presented to the City Council, showing the ever increasing community-wide response to ACEs through ...

Hello! We wanted to help conference attendees at our June 28-29 Beyond Paper Tigers Conference here in Walla Walla get a sense of the many "Paper Tigers" at work in Walla Walla. This 12-min. video features why a community-wide approach is so critical is helping to create a resilient community. We want to share it with other communities working toward the same goal of creating healthier, more connected communities, around the framework of the NEAR (neurobiology, epigenetics, aces, resilience)...

by Elise Haas WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Now more than ever, both parents and professionals struggle to understand the complex and continued impacts of chronic stress and trauma on a child's brain development. The documentary, Paper Tigers , based in Walla Walla, sparked renewed interest in the effects of chronic, overwhelming stress and trauma on children’s development. That's why hundreds of parents, educators, mental health workers, and others gathered at Whitman College in Walla Walla for the...

The Sherwood Trust board has announced grants and pledges totaling $1,015,513 to be made to Walla Walla Valley organizations this year. With additional awards to be made to support local initiatives, including annual leadership and training programs, Sherwood Trust expects to fund nearly $1.2 million in grants by the end of 2017, CEO Danielle Garbe said in a news release. The largest award, $160,000, went to Blue Mountain Action Council’s Commitment to Community operations for 2017-18. Read...

We are in the process of expanding our venue to accommodate all who desire to attend. Anyone who is unable to attend for any reason can stay informed of our advancements thru the following links: www.BeyondPaperTigers.com www.ResilienceTrumpsACEs.org Also, be sure to visit the recent Blogpost of Melanie G. Snyder because Melanie recently visited Walla Walla to find out first-hand about the why’s and how’s (the WOW’s) of Walla Walla’s informed community. Melanie serves as the Director of the...