COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: Our Community Needs More HUGGS

EDITOR’S NOTE: It takes a community… we are proud to bring these gatherings together. Biggest takeaway… “we need more of this.” Thank you Christy Kay for all you do for our community. Watch for more Community Conversations to come – how we heal is together, the unity of Community. If you have ideas, concerns, needs, please reach out to editor@tillamookcountypioneer.net. If you or someone you know needs help and hope right away, please call 988 or the local support line at 503-842-8201.

By Christy Kay, Cosmic Healing NW/Rising Hearts Studio

Last night, I had the privilege of opening Rising Hearts Studio to host a community conversation, in collaboration with the Tillamook County Pioneer, and HUGGS. HUGGS (Helping Us Give and Get Support) is a non profit community partner that I am blessed to be a part of – our mission is to start conversations about stigmatizing subjects, like suicide prevention, overdose awareness and trainings, grief support, and more as we also work to bridge the gaps in systems, to create connections between supports available to the community and the people who need them. When Lee Blackmon died, it was HUGGS who went into action to create a safe space for our grieving community, and helped bring in counselors to Rising Hearts for the weeks following.

My work with HUGGS includes hosting monthly teen night at NCP, and when HUGGS saw what I was doing, with offering community events available for free at Rising Hearts, they stepped in to support me in my efforts to create healing community, which allows me to offer more community building and healing events. And we are just getting started…

Last night, we had representatives from many local groups like Tides of Change, the Tillamook County Health Department, Sammy’s Place, Oregon’s Equity and Diversity program, Nehalem Bay Community Services, the Nehalem mayor, and Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition, as well as concerned citizens. We talked about hard things, we cried and laughed, we talked about the support needs of the community and steps forward for healing. And we wrapped it up with a little sound healing.

It was not an easy conversation, but I am so grateful for the courage and passion of those in attendance. We are working to create the change we want to see in our community, to create more love and compassion, to give and get support where it’s needed most.

I know this was only the first of many more conversations we need to have, and will have, but it fills my heart. I am so inspired by those who show up, and continue to show up…..Please join us if you can- together is how we do this!

All my love