The Dorothy J. Collier Community Center Donation

In the immediate aftermath of the racist shooting on Tops on Jefferson, we sent out resources to help manage the grief and trauma of our staff and residents. In addition, we sent out links to places that were accepting donations and that were deeply involved in the healing and recovery process within the neighborhood.

Once we learned that Gerri Talley – a former staff member at Supportive Living – was one of the victims, we asked for feedback from staff as to how we could memorialize her. We received some great ideas. Thanks to everyone who submitted a suggestion.

Ultimately, we’ve decided to provide a donation to The Dorothy J. Collier Community Center for a few reasons. It’s been a long-standing service within the Jefferson Ave. neighborhood for years. At the moment, the center is in the midst of restarting its programs that focus on kids. They’re in need of donations to help them achieve this goal. The center also served as a gathering and healing point in the days and weeks after the tragedy. Most poignantly, Gerri was just about to become a grandma for the first time, and we wanted to help support a cause that had ties to her. Since the center is looking for help bringing back its children’s programs, we thought it would be a perfect fit.

We’ll be contributing $1,000 to The Dorothy J. Collier Community Center from the agency in memory of Gerri. If you’d like to also contribute, you can donate by visiting www.dorothyjcolliercommunitycenter.com and clicking the red donate button.