Local businesses and other organizations banded together recently to quickly establish a temporary assistance center for families and staff affected by the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting on Oct. 15. Officials at Wednesday night’s Bend City Council meeting described how several local entities swiftly collaborated to create a “phenomenal” space in Bend at which Silver Rail families could congregate and speak with representatives from several service agencies, seek crisis counseling, and also enjoy food and solace with each other.
Sara Odendahl, CEO of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, told the Council how the Central Oregon Builders Association, Hayden Homes, Pahlisch Homes and Staging Spaces & Design outfitted the space with rugs, bean bags, furniture, play areas and other homey touches.
“These businesses gave families somewhere to go, where kids could be kids, just for a little while, and parents could find comfort in community,” Odendahl said, also elaborating on the many other businesses that have stepped up in the week since the tragedy to provide support in any way possible.
“Our businesses have responded. Oh boy, they have responded, big time. It is a wonderful reflection of what we know as the Bend way. This past week reminds me that our businesses are so much more. They’re our neighbors, they’re our friends, they’re our families who care so deeply about this place that we call home,” she said, listing numerous businesses around Bend that have provided free meals and places in which families can work on arts and crafts, watch movies and do other activities. She also highlighted the numerous fundraisers going on and spaces hosting private events for Silver Rail families.
Local officials worked closely with representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to set up the assistance center in the wake of the shooting, said Carrie Karl, director of risk and emergency management for the City of Bend. Families and staff were reunited with possessions left behind at Silver Rail in the chaos of the shooting and also were able to meet with representatives from various agencies, including the American Red Cross, Bend-La Pine Schools, Crisis Incident Stress Management, Deschutes County Behavioral Health, Kids Center and NeighborImpact. Officials from Crook and Jefferson counties also were on hand, as were several trauma support dogs for anyone needing a cuddle.
Karl said that while there were a “lot of tears” at the temporary center, there were also “a lot of connections and a lot of support. Kids hugging kids. They were happy to see each other, excited to be back together.”
Approximately 240 volunteers helped at the temporary center that served nearly 900 individuals.
“The one thing [the FBI] said to us is they’d never experienced a family assistance center like this. They were impressed and just blown away by the community that Bend brought and that it really showed up here and stated, ‘This is Oregon. This is how we operate here. We work and we support each other.”.
The FBI Portland Division has also established a Virtual Family Assistance Center that provides a centralized information hub with extensive links, phone numbers and resources pertaining to mental health and for victims, families and educators.
In other news, NAMI Central Oregon will host a free processing group for parents and guardians of Silver Rail students on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 9-11am at Kiln Coworking Space, 501 SW Hill St. in Bend. Trained facilitators will provide support through small-group conversations. Registration isn’t required. Additionally, BLPS has a resources hub, as does the City of Bend.
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