UVALDE, Texas — The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas (CBCST) now has a permanent home in Uvalde, one year after the tragedy at Robb Elementary.
Survivors of the May 2022 shooting took part in a ribbon-cutting of the new facility, which stands adjacent to St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.
“We knew this was not a short-term occurrence. We knew we would have to be here for many years, (that) these children were going to need us,” said CBCST Executive Director Marian Sokol.
CBCST launched a five-year fundraising campaign last June to support the establishment of a center in Uvalde which would provide free mental health services to the entire community.
Teams of CBCST grief counselors have already been on the ground in Uvalde for the past year, assisting children impacted by the tragedy while operating out of a temporary location with the assistance of St. Philip’s Episcopal.
“We’ve been working out of the El Progreso Library, out of the church where parts of the town created a mural room for us to work temporarily,” Sokol said. “Construction workers, architects, suppliers, donors—so many people who care about children.”
Ten-year-old Flor Lara is among several children who has been taking part in one-on-one counseling sessions with CBCST. Lara’s mother signed her up for the mental health support after the Robb Elementary shooting.
Lara was in third grade at the time.
“My mom got me into this counseling and it helps me so much. Since I’ve been at Children’s Bereavement Center I have been learning skills that help me heal through this tragedy,” Lara said.
The Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas will serve as a sanctuary of healing for decades to come for those in Uvalde and surrounding communities.
“My goal is to see children smile, and (to) see healing and more normalcy," Sokol said. "We can’t change the past but hopefully we can do more with mental health with counseling with stressed children in the future.”
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