Pictured: A joyful hug at a Community Conversation. Photo courtesy of SRQ Strong.

In order to create a better Sarasota, SRQ Strong believes that we must first create a space where the community cares for itself,  a space where people have the tools to enact change and support one another. Part of creating a strong and compassionate community is to be aware of how trauma shows its different faces and know the resources needed to address them. SRQ Strong is a nonprofit organization composed of a growing group of Sarasota County neighbors committed to learning about trauma and responding to its impact. Through their four components of change, Healing, Education, Action, and Leadership, SRQ Strong teaches trauma awareness to our community. Andy Blanch, who has spent her life peacemaking, saw the need for community healing projects within Sarasota and founded SRQ Strong. She believes that we must shift the conversation to one that at its core is compassionate; this can be done by understanding trauma. Blanch says “Once you understand trauma in the trauma world, one of our catchphrases is, you don't ask what's wrong with him, you ask what happened to him.” 

SRQ Strong’s mission is to provide the community with the education and resources necessary to bring on this shift toward compassion when trauma is present. “We do things like we work in churches, we work with the safe children's coalition, with their staff, as well as with the youth in foster care settings, etcetera, because all of those people have experienced trauma,” Blanch says. Along with educating the community about trauma, trauma must be addressed and healed. This is why bringing the act of providing support to heal these traumas continues to be the core component of the caring community SRQ Strong envisions for our future. “To know how to respond effectively, to put information in people's hands is absolutely essential in a public health model, so we're a lot about that,” says Blanch. 

SRQ Strong hosts Community Conversations that create a space where members of the community can come together to learn, share their own stories, and ultimately just participate. Blanch wants to emphasize that they really are conversations–not trainings.

Ultimately, Blanch and SRQ Strong invite you to learn more about where trauma resides in our community and the different ways you can help. “The first thing is to recognize when you see somebody or yourself, your friends, your family who could use some support, don't hesitate to contact us.”  Reach out to sarasotastrong@gmail.com for support.

Pictured: A joyful hug at a Community Conversation. Photo courtesy of SRQ Strong.

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