The Chamber has received numerous letters from visitors detailing the terrible cumulative effects of stress and exhaustion. All speculation about the why and the what aside, when a decorated officer and a treasure to the community succumbs to the devastating outcome of cumulative stress, we know that it could happen to any one of us. We're tired, understaffed and overwhelmed. Stress can hijack the brain and cause uncharacteristic behavior that we can prevent if we take action early. This is not an excuse for bad behavior, it's a clarion call for those who are close to the precipice -- it's time to ask for help. Here's how you can spot someone hijacked by stress:
 
Does your boss forget things?
Does your employee get easily angered?
Do you find yourself being impatient with people?
 
If you see yourself or a friend or colleague in any of those pictures, ask:
 
Are you getting enough rest?
Are you eating real food (e.g. with vegetables)?
Are you taking on too much? Do you need to ask for help?
 
Here are a few places to send them.
 
Estes Valley Crisis Advocates provides an array of free and confidential services to survivors of crime and trauma. They have services available 24/7, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They've already been a great help to our community in the past week. 

EVICS Family Resource Center is dedicated to strengthening and supporting families and children in the Estes Valley by providing early childhood support, parent education, child care scholarship opportunities and training for early childhood educators. 
 
Estes Valley Restorative Justice Partnership (EVRJP) helps build and repair relationships -- whether working to repair the harm of a crime, bringing parties together to work out sustainable solutions, or providing proactive support to build community connections and promote positive decision-making. 
 
Kent State University has shown that The Grief Recovery Method approach to helping grievers deal with the pain of emotional loss in any relationship is “Evidence Based” and effective.

 
Last Spring during the early pandemic, Capt. Rose, Vanessa Solesbee and the Chamber created a series of grief recovery workshops using the Grief Recovery Method. I'm sure it would honor Capt. Rose if we continued using resources like this to create a healthier workplace in every business. If you are interested in forming a grief recovery groups in your workplace or with others in the community, I'll be happy to connect you with resources. Contact donna@esteschamber.org or 970-480-7552.

Do you have any particular needs for you or your staff? Please let us know or sound in on this thread to let us know how to serve you best.