I am a former Firefighter and was gifted a scholarship to become an AWBW facilitator. With that I have been able to take AWBW into the Fire Department. Classes always range in size and there is usually someone that will stop in and end up opening up during the time provided. I continue to go back upon request about once every 60 days and do a different project each time. I love providing the opportunity for first responders to be able to stop, process and reflect on the abundant amount of trauma they see on a daily basis.

One activity we did was one I created called Fire Pit Safety Ring. We used rocks, acrylic paint pens, pipe cleaners, super glue (to glue the stones on), and a 6″x6″ foam board. The group really liked this because it was about allowing your fire to burn, with the stones representing the things or people in your life that help to keep the fire going or at bay. Sometimes you need both.

Whenever I walk into a room, there is a level of resistance from the first responders to do crafts, but after we get started, they have made some of the deepest and most meaningful projects. I have had a Fire Chief come in, sit down and say he was not going to do art, and I encouraged and supported him to just take this time to relax and breathe. By the end of the session, he had started talking and opened up about everything that was going on in his life that was causing him stress.  It was so beautiful to watch unfold, and he didn’t even realize it was happening.