About Us

Andy Blanch speaks to community forum in September 2019

What is SRQ Strong?

SRQ Strong is a growing group of Sarasota County residents committed to promoting awareness about the causes of trauma, its effects, and help and healing after trauma. SRQ Strong actively supports all efforts in the community to prevent and address trauma.

Our Inspiration

SRQ Strong builds on lessons from the civil rights movement, second wave feminism, and the disability rights movement. We owe a debt of gratitude to many individuals and groups who have generously shard their experience on this journey to becoming trauma-informed - In particular, Peace4Tarpon, the Self-healing Communities Model, and Father Paul Abernathy and the Neighborhood Resilience Project.

Mission & Vision Statements:

OUR MISSION: To promote community-wide trauma awareness through Healing, Education, Action, and Leadership

OUR VISION: To create a community that cares for itself

Our Theory of Change

We believe that by building trust, establishing safety, and listening deeply, we open the door to healing; by providing education about trauma and resilience we give people tools for change; and by organizing collective, community-driven action, we help people find their own solutions and develop their own leadership potential.

Our Principles

Safety

Physical and emotional safety are essential to growth and change. We strive to create safe environments and communities, recognizing that only the individuals involved can determine what feels safe in any situation.

Self-healing

Recovery from trauma is a journey of self-healing. To be a companion on this journey is both a privilege and a sacred honor. We affirm that survivors did nothing to deserve what happened to them, and we commit to being a witness to their story.

Inclusion

All people are welcome at our table and in our community. Inclusion is more than an open door; it involves meeting people where they feel comfortable, seeking to overcome the differences that divide us, and doing whatever is necessary to make activities accessible to all.

Trustworthiness & Transparency

All healing and sustainable change occurs in the context of trusting relationships. We strive to be transparent in all actions and we seek to be worthy of trust at all times.

Empowerment, Voice & Choice

Our job is to elevate individual and community wisdom, and to provide opportunities for people to find their own voice and make their own decisions.

Collaboration & Mutuality

We affirm that all people of all ages have a unique gift to bring to the process of healing communities. We commit to a model of equality and partnership, and we work to eliminate the power imbalances that privilege some groups over others.

Social Justice

Standing up with victims of violence and systemic oppression, advocating for their rights, and working to end racism and all forms of discrimination is essential to our work.

Acting With Urgency

We recognize that violence and trauma are putting our children, our communities, and our future at risk. Addressing these issues is a matter of great urgency.