Las Vegas (KSNV) — In times of uncertainty, Las Vegas organizations are focusing on compassion as a means to foster community support and enhance mental health. In the latest report on mental health, News 3’s Marie Mortera discovered how individuals can contribute to a program highlighting compassion in the community.
Kim Small, CEO of Signs of Hope, a non-profit dedicated to aiding survivors of human trafficking, expressed the significance of empathy, stating, ‘It is at the heart of everything we do.’ The organization is the recipient of the 2024 Compassionate City Award from Compassionate Las Vegas and aims to improve collective emotional well-being, particularly for those who depend on their services.
Small elaborated on the supportive environment her organization fosters: ‘We have a trauma-informed, warm, welcoming environment so they feel safe and they feel heard. It is baked into the 50-hour trauma-informed advocacy training that every staff member and volunteer must go through.’
Will Rucker, host of the Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast, shared insights on self-care for those in helping professions, stating, ‘I think it’s also important to include ourselves in that circle of care we give to others.’
Recognizing the need for internal care, Small noted, ‘We really try to pour into our staff. We do Wellness Wednesday. We ask they take 2 hours of self-care every week during work hours. We also encourage staff to take time to decompress after heavy calls or hospital visits.’
The focus is to ensure that staff are prepared to assist others, instilling hope that their work fosters a more compassionate community. Rucker emphasized, ‘Compassion is the start and the end. And compassion is really to alleviate suffering, and if we take a moment to intentionally do that each day, the entire world changes.’
For those wishing to recognize compassionate efforts in areas like education, health, and housing, nominations are open for the 2025 Compassionate City Awards, closing on March 28th.
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