Help and Events Planned
In Wake of Tragedy
By Sandy Vondrasek
 

 

The Randolph Area Care Team, a consortium of community leaders who have come together "for the purpose of helping the community through the crisis of Brook Bennett’s abduction and death," has created a website to help inform the community about events and available resources.

Below is a partial listing from the randolphcares.org site, plus other related events:

Help 24/7

• For adults or children who need help in dealing with stress reactions, which can include physical reactions, as well as strong emotions, Gifford Medical Center has hours available for immediate and same day appointments. Call 728-7000.

• The Clara Martin Center in Randolph has also expanded its walk-in hours to 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Clara Martin’s 24-hour hotline—for questions about trauma and stress, or to set up appointments with a counselor—is 800-639-6360. Also find information at www.claramartin.org.

• The Clara Martin Center has posted a number of written resources on randolphcares.org site, including: "Traumatic Incidents and Reactions," and "Understanding Child Traumatic Stress: A Guide for Parents."

School Letter

Recognizing that not everyone has Internet access, RUHS Assoc. Principal David Barnett is drafting a letter to be sent to school families that will list support resources available to families. Like other members of the Randolph Care Team, local school personnel are developing long-term plans for continuing to respond to community needs, as well. Work is just beginning on the kind of support that will be needed, for students and staff, when school reopens in the fall, Barnett said.

Teen Events

•There will be a pre-teen/teen gathering; Sunday, July 13, at Lake Champagne in Randolph Center, 2-4 p.m. Students in grades 7-12 are welcome to this free event, sponsored by the Bethany Church Youth Group and by the LISO/SafeArt group (see below). In addition to offering fun, fellowship, and ice cream sundaes, there will be time for participants to learn about available support and to discuss whether they want to form "healing circles," or other support sessions in the coming weeks, said Tracey Penfield, director of SafeArt.

• SafeArt hosts weekly LISO (Looking Inward, Speaking Out) group meetings at Chandler Cultural Center. The group, for students in grades 7-12, has an "art and activism focus." LISO is changing its meeting day to Tuesdays, starting next week, said facilitator Josey Hastings. For more information, call SafeArt, 685-3138.

SafeArt, based in Chelsea, uses the expressive arts to address the issues of dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault. The program looks at models of healthy versus abusive relationships and aims to create confidence in making positive relationship choice

Tackling Problems

• Those interested in getting involved in long-term solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault, may wish to attend meetings of the Orange County Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force. The Randolph group meets on the third Tuesday of each month, 5:30-7 p.m. at Ayers Brook Center. A Tunbridge group also meets the third Tuesday of every month, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Parish House. Those interested in starting a task force cluster group in other towns may contact SafeArt at 685-3138 or at beaudinring@yahoo.com.

Helping Out

A fund to benefit some of Brooke’s family has been set up at Randolph National Bank. The Jim and Janet Bennett Fund was established by Village Auto & Tire, where Jim Bennett (Brooke’s father) works. Bank officials noted that the Bennetts have had to miss a lot of workdays.

Also, Brooke’s family has asked that donations in her memory be made to the Molly Bish Foundation. The organization was founded by the parents of murder victim Molly Bish and is devoted to helping with child safety, through child ID kits that help in locating a missing child. The kits include a current head and shoulder photo of the child along with a set of fingerprints. The foundation's volunteers hold child safety days in local schools, day care centers and sponsor events in different communities.

Benefit Concert Tonight!

Adam’s Road, a Christian band staying at the Mobile Acres campground, has agreed to stage a benefit concert for the Bennett family at the Randolph gazebo, Thursday, July 10, 6-8 p.m.