The Power of Community Healing and Collective Resilience

The Longmont community, like many others, has experienced significant loss since the onset of the pandemic. Our close work with the community has allowed us to witness first-hand how youth in particular have been affected. Over the past few years, youth have experienced isolation, a diminished sense of community, and the painful loss of loved ones, all while being expected to carry on as if everything were normal. Despite the tireless efforts of many community members and organizations to support the needs of youth and families, the effects of the pandemic have still been palpable.

In the last year, two young lives have been lost to gun violence. These were young people who were loved and cared for by many. After the most recent loss, the request for support was heard from youth and families in the community. Some felt scared and uncertain of what to do or where to turn to for support. It seemed that people were wanting a space to process what happened.

At the beginning of April, Longmont Children, Youth, and Families (Longmont Youth Center) stepped up to respond to the request, reaching out to LCJP to partner with them. The goal was to hold space for youth and families to process the recent losses and violence in the community. LCJP’s staff team rallied, helping plan a Community Healing Circle alongside the passionate community leaders from the Longmont Youth Center. 

Longmont Youth Center Building

A Community Healing Circle was held on May 22nd, members of the Longmont community, Youth Center leaders, and LCJP staff and volunteers held space for those who lost a loved one. The circle gave youth and adults an opportunity to talk about what happened, how they were impacted, and what they needed. 

I sat down with some LCJP staff afterwards to ask some questions about the Community Healing Circle and what they learned after participating in this event. Aiden, one of LCJP’s Community Program Coordinators and Ramone, LCJP’s Training Manager shared ..

Q: What was the intention of the Community Healing Circle?

Aiden: We wanted to create a space that could help hold these shared emotions for the youth, parents and the community at large. Community Healing Circles allow voices to be heard and people to use community as a support in difficult times. Not only can people share their pain, but they can share what has allowed them to heal with each other as well.

Ramone: LCJP's intention for the community healing circle was a collaborative effort to respond to the recent loss of life due to gun violence. We see the community healing circle as an opportunity to respond.

Q: Can you tell me about the importance of providing this space for youth?

Ramone: I think it's very important for these spaces to include young folks, as they are also experiencing the loss of friends and families. These spaces can cultivate and explore alternatives to hopelessness.

Aiden: A lot of the feedback that we’ve gotten from youth who have experienced loss is they don’t always have a space for healing and feeling supported after the fact. They don’t always have an outlet, and without one, there is a greater chance of this unresolved suffering leading to negative outcomes. We have seen a lot of referrals stem from youth not having spaces for healing or talking about grief. They have been holding difficult emotions that they don’t always know what to do with. Creating spaces for healing and teaching our communities how to hold these spaces in schools, on sports teams, in community centers is a key step towards continuing to build Longmont’s capacity for healing and restoration.

Q: How do circles help provide space for holding conversations about tragedy and grief? / Why do we use circles to talk about hard things?

Aiden: We use circles to talk about tragedy and grief because Restorative Justice teaches us that healing comes from relationships and community. When we feel that we aren’t in this alone, that there are people out there who want to listen, and that we can lean on one another when times are hard that makes it a bit easier.

 Ramone: Restorative Circles provide the container for psychological safety when having difficult conversations involving conflict, loss, grief, and harm. The circle process allows for sharing lived experienced with dignity.

Supporting youth and families is a community effort, it means showing up for the people in your community whether that is your coworker, friend, classmate, or neighbor. It is not something that can be done by one person or organization alone. It was an honor to work closely with community leaders that care so much about the youth and families in our community, and our work is not done. I hope we can continue to create spaces where youth feel heard and supported.  

LCJP staff has long pondered what the best response is in times when there is a community tragedy.  As a community organization we strive to be responsive to the community’s needs, and provide support and programming that is meaningful, culturally relevant and prompt. Working with Longmont Children, Youth, and Families to put on this event was a huge learning opportunity. We gained valuable experience and feel more confident in our ability to respond when the community expresses a need for processing grief/trauma.

We are also grateful for the community leaders that volunteered and showed up to participate, the participation of a wide range of people from the community helped cultivate a sense of community healing. When we show up and make space for those most impacted by a tragedy, we demonstrate a willingness to face hardships as a community. Community support is one way we can continue to normalize the grieving process we as a community have experienced and create a sense of connection.

The Longmont Youth Center will continue to offer a Learning Series “to empower families with information to help youth stay safe.” More information about this can be found at, www.longmontcolorado.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/51076/231. LCJP looks forward to continuing to offer the support that is needed.

If you would like to continue to support us and our work you can visit www.lcjp.org/volunteer to learn about volunteering, or offer your financial support at www.lcjp.org/donate.