BOULDER, Colo. — On the second floor of a Chase Bank in south Boulder, counselors and comfort dogs await anyone in the community who needs support in the wake of the March 22 shooting at King Soopers.
“We were really intentional that we wanted this to be a healing space," said Kevin Braney. “I believe last week, we saw 83 people here, so the need is absolutely here, and it’s only going to continue to grow."
Braney works for Mental Health Partners [MHP], an organization serving Boulder and Broomfield counties for nearly 60 years. Braney is the incident commander leading MHP's response to the shooting at King Soopers that killed 10 people.
“We know that early intervention on this kind of trauma will make a significant difference in people’s healing process," Braney said.
MHP joined King Soopers to run the #BoulderStrong Community Resource Center inside the Chase Bank at 603 S. Broadway in Boulder.
“'Boulder Strong' means also having the strength and the courage to ask for help," Braney said. “We want to help everyone be strong enough to come and ask for help.”
The resource center connects people to all kinds of services including mental health and trauma counseling, HR support for King Soopers employees, massage and acupuncture therapies, comfort dogs and more.
The resource center opened last month next door to the King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive where the shooting took place.
“There’s been a lot of conversation about the location," Braney said. "Is it too close?”
Braney said many community members and King Soopers associates appreciate the ease of access to the resource center and its proximity to the grocery store that was a community gathering place for decades.
"We also understand that for others, they're not quite ready and they may never be ready to come this close to the store," Braney said.
The Chase Bank will likely be a temporary home, but Braney said the work to help the Boulder community heal will go on as long as it's needed.
“It’s going to take years," Braney said. "We’re here for that journey and we’re invested in our community and have been and will continue to be.”
The #BoulderStrong Community Resource Center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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