Here we are, laboring through another week with significant trauma on our minds. It’s an all-too-familiar sensation across our country. Even yesterday, word of a potential active shooter in Baton Rouge gave us all pause, and, perhaps, sucked the air from your lungs – at least it did mine.
If you find yourself feeling as I have this week, I encourage you to reach out to our friends like VIA LINK and Family Service of Greater New Orleans to talk with a trained counselor. When circumstances feel incomprehensible, it’s important to have a trusted person in your corner to listen, validate, and help process.
I won’t pretend to have the answers to this senseless violence, but I do hope that we’re nearing a point at which all sides can come together to find a solution – or a path to one, anyhow.
At United Way, we’re committed to ensuring the necessary research can take place to help prevent future shootings, and we’re invested in taking a trauma-informed approach to support individuals who have experienced violence at an early age – a precursor to a number of challenges later in life.
We value our partners who are leading the work in this space and will continue to support this critical need in our community. We know the demand is great, and we want to continue to work together to provide these services to keep Southeast Louisiana safe and healthy.
In kindness,
Michael Williamson
President and CEO
United Way of Southeast Louisiana