Earlier this month we hosted a professional development conference for our certified Resiliency Partners, made possible with funding from the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services.
For two nights and three days, we gathered at the beautiful Montreat Conference Center near Black Mountain, NC for a one-of-a-kind event designed to support our network of educators and facilitators serving Helene-impacted communities across Western North Carolina.
Why It Matters
The PDI was created in response to requests from our Resiliency Partners for both core training and specialized workshops around how to best serve participants living or working in the 25 Helene-impacted counties of Western North Carolina.
The goal of this event was to support our trainers with practical tools and strategies for meeting this unique population where they are, especially the helpers and heroes who have dedicated so much to Helene response and recovery.
This was a rare opportunity for our team and certified Resiliency Partners to connect and practice our values and tools together in real-life, in real-time:
- LEARN: Gaining new knowledge and insights.
- PRACTICE: Applying concepts with hands-on experiences.
- THRIVE: Recharging in a supportive setting.
Event Highlights
- Connection & Community: Attendees enjoyed shared meals, evening campfires, and creative activities like pottery hand-building, fostering bonds between our certified trainers who live and work across multiple counties and organizations.
- Learning & Practice: Expert-led workshops provided both foundational training and specialized sessions tailored to the evolving needs of first-responder and other frontline professionals in WNC.
- Resiliency Stewardship: Participants practiced tools for calmness, connection, and storytelling, building confidence to carry RFR’s mission into various workplaces and communities.
- Rest & Renewal: The tranquil mountain setting offered space for reflection, selfcare, and joy — essential ingredients for sustaining resilience.
- Special Guests:
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- Leslie Lawson: Vaya Health Crisis Intervention Team
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- Schell McCall: PATH/Partners Aligned Towards Health
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- Rev. Amy Cantrell & Gustavo “Ponkho” Bermejo: BeLoved Asheville
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- Michael Hayes: Umoja Health, Wellness & Justice Collective
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- Candice Sanford: NC Department of Health & Human Services
What Our Attendees Said
In the testimonials we collected, words like supportive, inspirational, energizing, and restorative captured the spirit of the gathering.
- “My heart is still happy.” -Kia G.
- “You all are complete rock stars! Thank you for all that you are doing for the people of NC” -Candice S.
- “Thank you for making the experience full with connection, joy and life-giving breaths and laughs” – Yvette R.
- “This event was so well done- the balance of learning connection and reflection. Thank you!” -Resiliency Partner
- ”SOUL SOOTHING, life giving, fun fun fun, growth learning together, THANK YOU!” -Resilency Partner
- “I love you all madly.” – Resiliency Partner
- “Huge gratitude to this team and the work of everyone, both at this event and in our communities/lives.” – Resiliency Partner
- “My heart is overflowing with gratitude for this time and space with humans who share a commitment to this work.” – Resiliency Partner
- “This was awesome – inspiring, lots of laughter, tears, hugs, settling of my nervous system. I feel better prepared to support the community.” – Resiliency Partner
In Gratitude
THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for this inaugural, first-of-it’s kind event. Thank you for taking time to travel, to put your daily responsibilities on hold for a few days and connect with us on this journey.
We are all overflowing with gratitude from our shared experiences and the memories we made in community. This event has been a dream of the RFR leadership team for a long time and it felt surreal to finally make it all happen!
We are deeply grateful to all who attended, contributed, and helped make this event possible.
Our team is fortunate to participate in this meaningful work, and especially thankful to work closely with so many like-hearted and talented professionals. Together, we are building safer, healthier, and more resilient communities across Western North Carolina, and beyond.
With every new participant we reach, we are strengthening the capacity of our region to heal, grow, and thrive for generations to come.
This is only the tip of the iceberg… Stay tuned for what’s to come!
Want more? Check out this heart-warming IG Reel!