The Newtown Resiliency Center envisions itself as a place where any community member can drop by for a cup of coffee or a helping hand.
The center, which makes its formal introduction to the community Tuesday with a 10:00 a.m. Back to School Brunch, is a locally based and run non-profit planning to offer a wide range of trauma-related services -- basically anything the residents who use it could need, says director Stephanie Cinque.
"The idea is, it's going to evolve with the needs of the community," Cinque told Patch. "People can come to hang out, have a cup of coffee and get some peer-to-peer support. Over time, they will not be afraid of asking help. The goal is not to duplicate anything that's being offered, but to offer this stuff free to anyone in the greater Newtown area."
Cinque is a social worker with ten years of experience. She founded the Resiliency Center with help from Tuesday's Children, a trauma counseling center established after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.
"They were the motivation," said secretary Diane Buchanan. "Their goal was to get the youngest child to 18 and then they would disband -- but then they kept going. And after Dec. 14, they wanted to help Newtown, too."
Buchanan is cooking for the open house, making it, she says, a true example of a community supporting itself. The initial events list includes art therapy, creative workshops and a chocolate-making lesson.
The center is located at 153 S. Main St. For more information, see their website.
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