Tuesday, Nov. 19 marks two years since a person walked into Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, and opened fire, killing five people and injuring over two dozen others.
While Club Q remains closed and serves as an informal memorial to those who lost their lives — Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, Derrick Rump and Raymond Green Vance — the community is still trying to heal from the senseless act of violence.
Prism Community Collective, an LGBTQ+ resource center in downtown Colorado Springs, extended its hours on Tuesday and Wednesday to provide a safe space.
The resource center, which opened five months ago, was created in direct response to the deadly shooting. The center acts as a hub to connect people to mental health resources while hosting peer support groups and community events.
RELATED STORY | FBI: Hispanic and LGBTQ individuals report receiving offensive text messages
"People feel safe here because we provide an affirming space, a safe space, and anybody is welcome to come into this space and know that they are going to be greeted and treated with the utmost respect," said Program and Outreach Manager John Arcediano.
Arcediano is a Club Q shooting survivor and helped establish the Prism Community Collective after recognizing the need for more LGBTQ+ spaces in Colorado Springs.
"The conversations really revolved around, 'What is Colorado Springs missing? And what does Colorado Springs need for the LGBTQ+ community?'" he said.
Prism Community Collective will be open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19 and Wednesday, Nov 20 at 711 South Tejon Street for anyone needing free mental health services or wanting to participate in peer support groups.
Individuals can drop in during those hours for onsite support from the following partner organizations:
- Diversus Health- Representatives will be available to assist with access to critical support needs
- National Alliance on Mental Illness- A one-on-one peer support specialist will be onsite and Q-Connect Peer Support Groups will be available on Nov. 19 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Nov. 20 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Peak Vista- Dr. Eric Attard will provide free mental and behavioral health support sessions from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day
- Reverend Mallory Everhart will offer affirming spiritual support for community members
Shy Foeppel, a connection support group coordinator with NAMI, will be at the LGBTQ+ center to help out. She said this week is a really heavy time for the queer community.
“We're just really wanting to just be here for the community, especially in this time of like reflection and in their journey of healing," she said.
This story was originally published by Maggie Bryan at Scripps News Colorado Springs.