David Scherrer
		Support Officer Community Care P.O. Box 1102 Bellingham, WA 98227 (360) 201-0203 Glenn Newton, Executive Director glenn@supportofficer.org www.supportofficer.com Support Officer Community Care is a non-profit organization founded in Whatcom County. A support officer is a volunteer chaplain or mental health professional who courageously offers support to people in their most tragic moment. In 2002, support officers were dispatched to 320 crisis situations in Whatcom County. A support officer responds to calls 24 hours a day, ensuring no families are left to deal with tragedy alone. This role involves responding to suicides, infant deaths, death notification, notifying others at the families' request, and other crisis situations. Support Officer Community Care has a network of volunteers ready to prepare meals, send cards and offer follow-up visits or calls. The organization has purchased a casket for a child and often provides a chaplain to conduct funerals. All services are free and done solely for the purpose of assisting people at a time when an individual's normal psychological and biological coping mechanisms are threatened. Often those helped by SOCC become volunteers at a later date, offering empathy and understanding to newly grieving families. SOCC created and finances a website, www.supportofficer.com , that offers grief information. SOCC also sends out a monthly newsletter to its supporters. SOCC assists first responders -- medics, firefighters, emergency staff and law enforcement -- by offering defusing, a method of relieving anxiety and stress through communication, after difficult situations. SOCC also sponsors ongoing trainings for its volunteers and first responders. The organization has developed a new program, School Crisis Response, to put together teams to assist the community in the aftermath of school crisis. SOCC has developed a website for school crisis, www.schoolcrisis.net . With your help, support officers can help hurting people not just survive, but with care, to thrive! See this charity's details, powered by: © 2002 Whatcom Community Foundation. All rights reserved.		Human Services Overview Alternatives to Hunger/ Bellingham Food Bank American Red Cross Animals As Natural Therapy Arc of Whatcom County Arthritis Foundation Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center Bellingham YWCA Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County Brain Injury Association of Washington Brigid Collins Camp Fire USA Samish Council Christian Hope Association Evergreen Aids Foundation F.A.C.E.S. Northwest Habitat for Humanity Institute for Northwest Community Advancement Interfaith Coalition Kulshan Community Land Trust LAW Advocates Lydia Place Mother Baby Center Mount Baker Planned Parenthood Northwest Youth Services Opportunity Council Paysant Health Resources Sean Humphrey House Sisu Children's Fund > Support Officer Community Care Visiting Nurse Personal Services American Red Cross Whatcom Crisis Services Whatcom Family YMCA Whatcom Hospice Foundation Whatcom Literacy Council Whatcom Volunteer Center Womencare Shelter and Domestic Violence Services