First Responders Resiliency, Inc. (FRRI) is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation to support their Family Services program. In complement to the resiliency conferences and support offered directly to first responders, grant funds will be used to provide resiliency classes, support groups, and outreach to families.
First responders and their families have experienced unprecedented strain during the pandemic, a situation compounded locally, where dangerous and destructive wildfires rage for months each year. The life-changing supportive services offered by FRRI through in-person and on-line conferences are needed more now than ever. Families of first responders are also experiencing incredible need for support and tools to cope with the strains they have faced during the pandemic; and first responders need their families to be cared for to do the work of addressing their own mental health needs. By supporting the entire family ecosystem, FRRI’s programs have a lasting impact that resonates through the whole community.
Family sessions meet a crucial need for families who have given so much. As one participant shared, “I want to thank you for giving me my husband back. Seeing [him] Thursday after class was the first time in a long time that I felt I was seeing the man I fell in love with. I know that things aren’t going to be perfect from now on and that we are going to have to put in the work, but it feels like we are finally heading in the right direction. What you and all of the staff at FRRI are doing is not only helping First Responders cope with PTSD, but you’re saving lives, marriages and families. I know this because it feels like you saved mine.”
Founder and Executive Director Susan Farren expresses her gratitude. “We are thrilled to be a recipient of a grant from the Sonoma County Vintners Association and are so grateful for the heartfelt support they are providing to first responders and their families.”
About First Responders Resiliency, Inc.
Founded and operated by first responders, First Responders Resiliency, Inc. (FRRI) is an evidence-based, proactive non-profit organization dedicated to the psychological, neurological, physical, emotional and relational well-being of first responders and their families. To learn more or make a donation, visit www.resiliency1st.org.
About Sonoma County Vintners Foundation
The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation’s signature fundraising event, the Sonoma County Wine Auction, has raised $39 million for local causes, helping to address Sonoma County’s most pressing needs, and fostering both immediate and long-term change. The foundation cultivates a vibrant and diverse Sonoma County through charitable giving focused on improving education, health & human services, the environment and arts & culture. The foundation’s annual Community Grants Program ensures that nonprofit organizations working across Sonoma County have the opportunity to apply for funding.
