Shannon Sessions
Support 7 Executive Director
Dear Friends,
Happy, healthy and safe 2024 to each of you. Thank you for your ongoing support and love for the sensitive work Support 7 does locally, 24/7/365, assisting our neighbors in trauma immediately, on-scene, alongside our first responders.
We continue to serve individuals and families who are experiencing trauma from an unexpected death of a loved one, whether natural, suicide or homicide, or another shocking event, such as a house fire or a fatality vehicle collision. We know early intervention and the light we try to bring gives those grieving a more direct path to hope and healing.
We know grieving is different for everyone, many people “grieve like they live.” Part of what we do while we “companion” these neighbors sometimes days, weeks, months after the incident, is to give them “permission” to have all the feelings. There’s no closure, there’s no fixing, judging or special words—just giving them space to be in it — to walk through it. Quietly, being willing to sit in the grief with them.
These are some of the key things we train our specialized volunteers — both our first responder chaplains and our incident response team volunteers.
Thank the Lord for His provisions of people with the right skills and hearts to join our team. We have been onboarding new folks and doing a lot of extra training. We currently have three new chaplains, and nine new Incident Response Team Members, all on probationary status. Pray for these volunteers.
In 2023, we had the privilege of serving in-person our south county neighbors in dark times on more than 450 emergency calls and cared for and built relationships with hundreds of our first responders — thank you for being a part of this.
**If you live in South Snohomish County and feel led to learn more about how to volunteer for Support 7 in some way, please connect with me directly at 425-478-6524.
Serving with You,
Shannon
Firefighter rescues a dog from a house fire we were at recently, Support 7 cared for various pets and their humans on this particular call.
One of our priorities is caring for the first responders and their families…we stay close in touch with all of them and are included in events, like this recent promotion ceremony with Lynnwood Police.
Some of us at a Public safety/Disaster Preparedness resource fair in the fall.
On scene at a recent house fire in south Snohomish County providing rehab for firefighters alongside this air unit and a safe, warm place for the family who was displaced to wait.
