ABOUT US
Resources for Resilience is a North Carolina-based 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to share practical, science-based tools designed to build up and support resilience-building for individuals, teams, and communities. Founded in 2017, our trauma-informed community education and professional development programs teach people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life how to keep themselves, their loved ones, and the people they serve safe, healthy, and resilient in times of stress.
According to the CDC, nearly two-thirds of adults report at least one adverse childhood experience (ACEs), underscoring the need for accessible tools that help people manage stress and heal from trauma.
OUR STORY
WHERE WE STARTED
In 2017, a group of visionary women from Buncombe County, North Carolina, came together with a shared purpose: to help individuals and communities not just survive adversity, but thrive through it.
Using the groundbreaking work of several mental health pioneers as their foundation, RFR began offering simple tools designed to help people self-regulate and connect with others more effectively. From this powerful intention, Resources for Resilience, a 501(c)3 nonprofit was born.
RFR began offering its signature Reconnect for Resilience™ training—a two-day workshop designed to equip people with practical, research-based tools for managing stress and fostering emotional well-being. Over the years, RFR has expanded its offerings to include a diverse menu of trainings and events tailored to meet the needs of various audiences.
What started as a local initiative quickly grew into a statewide movement, reaching educators, first responders, healthcare professionals, and community-service workers across North Carolina. RFR’s nonprofit status allowed us to expand our reach and solicit scholarship funds for those who might not otherwise be able to afford our trainings.
WHERE WE ARE
We receive requests for more trainings every day, and overwhelming proof of the benefits of resiliency programs has deepened our dedication to offering them as a public health service. As a result, we have built a large capacity of dedicated educators and trainers who are making a positive difference in the lives of countless individuals, families, organizations, and communities helping people apply our resiliency-building tools at home and at work.
Our program participants walk away with key tools and principles to promote neuroplasticity and help prevent future adversity while supporting each person’s potential for well-being. We strive to bring our trainings to underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as those who have experienced the trauma of adverse childhood experiences.
Over the years, we have conducted hundreds of trainings for schools, mental health agencies, faith communities, and healthcare institutions, in addition to educating first responders, domestic violence and homeless shelter staff, and community organizers. Our team has even reached people as far away as London, England, and Bhopal, India.
WHERE WE’RE GOING
Resources for Resilience continues to grow, guided by its founding values and the unwavering belief that resilience is not just a trait—it’s a teachable, transformative tool. Through its work, RFR is helping build safer, healthier communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
In the years ahead we will continue to #LearnPracticeThrive in our commitment to helping people from all walks of life deepen their resilience and experience better days.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Mary Lynn Barrett, Stephanie Citron, Ginger Clough, Katie Roberts, Ann DuPre Rogers, Beth Turner, and Susanne Walker Wilson
OUR INSPIRATION
- Brené Brown
- Judith Herman
- Peter Levine
- Elaine Miller-Karas
- Pat Ogden
- Deb Dana
- Stephen Porges
- Babette Rothschild
To date, Resources for Resilience is proud to have hosted trainings in over 75% of North Carolina’s counties. We deliver over 200 events annually, supporting a variety of institutions, including mental health agencies, faith communities, healthcare facilities, crisis centers, and other vital community organizations.
ROOTED IN RESEARCH
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, published in 1994, was a collaborative effort of the Center for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente. This groundbreaking research looked at how 10 types of childhood trauma affected individuals’ long-term health.
The ACE Study found that the higher someone’s ACE score was (or the more types of childhood adversity a person had experienced), the higher their risk was for developing chronic disease, experiencing symptoms of mental illness, becoming a victim of violence, or experiencing many other physical, emotional, and social consequences in adulthood.
The study indicated that around 64 percent of people have at least one ACE and that 12 percent of the population has an ACE score of four (4), which nearly doubles the risk of heart disease and cancer, increases the likelihood of abusing alcohol by 700 percent, and elevates the risk of attempted suicide by 1,200 percent.
These sobering statistics point to the tremendous need for responses to this issue that are not just treatment-oriented, but that offer preventative solutions.
We know that developmental trauma often creates problems with emotion regulation and can interfere with our ability to establish trusting connections. However, neuroscience research has also taught us that we are able to form new pathways in the brain that can lead to deeper connection and wellbeing.
RFR strives to address a variety of public health crises and instill the hope that adversity is not destiny.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) categories:
- physical, emotional, and sexual abuse
- physical and emotional neglect
- living with a family member battling addiction, depression depressed, or other forms of mental illness
- parental divorce or separation
- family member incarceration
- witnessing a parent or guardian being abused
“(Adverse Childhood Experiences) are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today.”
Robert Block, Past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics
OUR APPROACH
Trauma-Informed. Research-Backed. Resiliency-Focused
THE SCIENCE
Neuroscience has taught us that trauma and stress is a biological event that affects the body and brain in various ways.
When our nervous system is overwhelmed, we are thrown into altered, disrupted states of being which can have negative effects on our mental and physical health if left unaddressed over time.
Our brains are designed to keep us safe from harm, but unfortunately stressful events can affect us long after these events, influencing our learning, creativity, relationships, and more.
THE TOOLS
Thankfully there are ways to form new pathways in the brain that can make us more resilient, healthy, and connected in tough times.
Our resiliency educators teach about trauma, the brain, and the human nervous system in a way that people of all ages, education levels, and professional backgrounds can understand.
These are simple tools that can be used on the job, in your car, or even at the grocery store. They are a no-nonsense approach to feeling better that anyone can do anywhere, at any time.
THE RESULTS
When our Resiliency Tools are practiced regularly, they can provide stress relief, strengthen relationships, and build resilience. The tools can also be shared easily with others.
Our practical strategies help participants, their loved ones, and the people they serve manage the stress of daily life and the overwhelm of trauma.
When we consistently bring the nervous system back into balance and help people return to their personal Resilient Zone, we deepen their potential to thrive.