National Making Life Beautiful Day - June 11
Beauty comes in many forms. From a kind word to a gentle soul, those who lift up others and find strength in the sparest strands of hope bring beauty into this world. Those beautiful people heal the wounded, ease the hearts of the weary, and empower others to be the best person they can be to make life so very beautiful. Learn more about this annual day.
National PTSD Awareness Day - June 27
According to PTSD United, 20% of adults in the United States who have experienced a traumatic event suffer from PTSD. Want to help someone suffering from PTSD? View these resources.
Change.org Petition
Consider signing this petition supporting the budget amendment to create the non-reverting Virginia Mass Violence Care Fund during the 2022 Virginia Legislative Session.
Recipe Book
Please consider submitting your family recipes and stories for our membership cookbook. Our goal is to publish this cookbook and sell it to help raise money and awareness for our VTVCare endowment fund, all of which benefits the long-term trauma-related care needs of mass shooting survivors nationwide.
Helping Kids Navigate Scary News Stories
Kids watch us respond to events, they hear kids talking at recess, and they peek over our shoulder and see headlines, social media posts, or breaking news alerts flashing on our smartphones or tablet. And they have questions.
Coping in the Aftermath of Tragedy
Coping in the aftermath of tragedy is complex and difficult. You don’t have to do it alone. Here are seven coping mechanisms you can apply to help alleviate some of the stress you’re feeling.
Deac’s Story
My name is Deac Michelsohn and I’m a mass shooting survivor. I have purpose for sharing my story of mass violence.
7,000 Participate in the "In Remembrance" Run/Walk
There were 7,000 participants in the 3.2 Mile "In Remembrance" run/walk at VT on April 16, 2022. About 30 family members attended the anniversary events on the 15th and 16th. President Dr. Tim Sands and Mrs. Laura Sands attended the luncheon and met with each family individually. Joe and Mona Samaha kindly shared a few pictures from the weekend.
New Court Guide for Mass Violence Trials and Victims
This 95-page Guide is survivor-centered and grounded in best practices derived from previous trials in which defendants were charged with federal or state crimes that resulted in mass casualties and/ or devastating victim and community impact.
Disaster Distress Hotline Online Peer Support Communities
The Disaster Distress Hotline (DDH) Online Peer Support Communities is now offering peer support for survivors of mass violence in the United States.
If I Don’t Make It
A harrowing collection of sixty narratives—covering over fifty years of shootings in America—written by those most directly affected by school shootings: the survivors.
VTVCare Office Hours
VTVCare is launching a new monthly series called “VTV Care office hours.” Join us virtually to say hi, visit and catch up with other members/families, find out what our organization is working on, share ideas for our organization, and share personal successes or challenges with each other.
How to sign up for AmazonSmile
Here is a way to support VTV Family outreach and it costs nothing for you. Here are the steps.
New Roles for VTV Board Members in 2022
In March of 2022, Joe Samaha will step down after almost 13 years as the president of VTV Family Outreach Foundation, and step into the role of “VP of Development and Victim-Survivor Advocacy”.
The leadership of VTV will be Co-Chaired by Jennifer Herbstritt and Jody McQuade, who have both served many years on the board and have been dedicated advocates of VTV’s mission and programs.
2 VTV Board Members Get Certified
Recently, two members of our VTV Board became trained “Certified Disaster Distress Helpline Peer Supporters”. Learn more…
Help to Organize and Assist Others
It is an honor for VTVCare to begin to help organize and assist our brave brothers and sisters on their long journey of recovery, healing, and the need for perpetual care that will be required.
The Practice of Being: Thoughts on Awareness, Acceptance, and Change
A constant in life is change… awareness and acceptance of this reality frees us from the struggle of attempting to take control of what we cannot change, and to focus on what we can.
PTSD Care Needs Over Time - Learning to Live Again
When evaluating potential therapists, an important factor is your personal sense of whether you and the therapist are a good fit. As you might imagine, a strong working relationship predicts positive therapy outcomes.
Trauma – Wherever you are on your journey, Mindfulness is an option, today.
By Kelly Berthold, LCSW
Going through a traumatic event can often lead to many challenges; mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, and beyond. Whatever you may be experiencing, it is not wrong, bad, unnatural, or incorrect. So what can be done? Mindfulness is one way to meet ourselves where we are today and can help build a foundation for meeting our basic human needs while also opening opportunities to connect back with ourselves and others.