hello
This week, meet another face in our People of the Neighborhood Resilience Project series! Aleta is a Trauma Response Team volunteer.
“I am originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, which is about two hours from Pittsburgh. I’ve been living in Pittsburgh for about 14 years now. I’ve always been in social services—I work for NAMI, which is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. I am their director of mental health equity and community engagement. NAMI in Pittsburgh actually serves all of Pennsylvania so we help support all PA affiliates from here to Philadelphia.
I heard about the Neighborhood Resilience Project some years ago and I just became interested in the Trauma Response Team and what they do. I’ve been personally affected by gun violence and can empathize with community members, so I wanted to give back in that way and provide resources and just be like a shoulder or an ear – whatever they need. Just being able to talk with people and let them know that there’s things out there that could help them through their situation means a lot to me.
Volunteering with the Trauma Response Team gives you a sense of hope. I really like to see that there are people that did not grow up in these communities but they still have a love for and want to help these folks. That’s something that they don’t have to do. It really does give you a sense of hope that people actually care.
I am so happy that this resource exists and, at the same time, I wish it didn’t have to. But until—you know—we can somehow end gun violence, I’m glad that something like this is in place.”