Oakton,
Va., April 19, 2007-Northern Virginia
Family Service (NVFS), an organization dedicated
to empowering and strengthening families and
the community, announced that it will provide
education workshops to those affected by the
Virginia Tech tragedy. NVFS has extensive
training in trauma recovery and helping families
cope with tragedies through its Survivors'
Fund Project, a program set up to help those
affected by the 9/11 attacks. Stephanie Berkowitz,
Director of the Survivors' Fund Project said,
"NVFS feels strongly that we have a responsibility
to the greater community to share our expertise
in a manner that will support those struggling
to deal with the tragic events that happened
at Virginia Tech. We are fortunate to have
a partner in the Community Foundation for
the National Capital Region that supports
our work in the broader community."
This educational workshop is
designed to provide participants with the
knowledge and abilities to recognize the signs
and symptoms of extreme stress reactions,
to initiate self-care activities, and to develop
techniques to address their fears and increase
their ability to cope with and heal from traumatic
loss. The workshop will help participants
understand what to expect in the next few
weeks, and there after, as the healing and
recovery process moves forward. The session
will be held at Falls Church Presbyterian
Church, 225 East Broad Street, Falls Church,
VA 22041 on Thursday, April 26, from 7:00
- 9:00 PM.
The session will provide an opportunity to
openly discuss reactions from that day. "Traumatic
events such as the incident at Virginia Tech
have a profound impact on all of us. Even
if we do not know anyone personally involved,
it is likely that we will know someone who
does since Tech has a large population of
Northern Virginia high school graduates. Additionally,
extensive media coverage brings the reality
of the event home even though we were not
there. We want people to know that it’s
not unusual to experience a wide range of
emotional or physical reactions. This is a
normal response to events of this kind,"
says Sharon S. Frost, Vice President of Intensive
Family Services.
This event is open to the general public
and an additional workshop will be scheduled
for a future date. To request an accommodation,
please RSVP at least 48 hours in advance.
For more information, or to RSVP for the workshop,
please contact Julie Barnes at (703) 219-3927
or email jbarnes@nvfs.org. For addition information
on the workshop, please visit www.nvfs.org.
Established in 1924, Northern Virginia Family
Service is a private, non-profit community
service resource dedicated to helping individuals
and families find new paths to self-reliance
and brighter futures. Each year, NVFS helps
more than 23,000 people find affordable housing,
counseling and child care; access to low-cost
medical and dental services; foster and respite
care, job training; trauma recovery; and much
more. For more information, visit www.nvfs.org.
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