Clergy Honored For Their Service on Dec. 2, 2015

Thirty-seven clergy were honored at a symposium hosted by the San Bernardino County Probation Department on Thursday, Feb. 25. The group consisted of local clergy throughout the city of San Bernardino, Salvation Army Emergency Services representatives, and volunteers from the American Red Cross Inland Empire. The Pastors were recognized for their assistance at the Rudy C. Hernandez Center following the Dec. 2, 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack. On that day, 14 people were killed and 22 were wounded. The San Bernardino County Probation Department reached out to local clergy to assist with family members who were gathered at the Hernandez Center awaiting news about their loved ones. Pastors escorted survivors from the arriving buses and into the center. They also comforted family members and officers throughout the day and well into the night. The Rudy Hernandez Center was a hub of activity and waves of emotions continuously filled the atmosphere. Joys, as some families reunited and some sadness as the fate of some families remained uncertain. “The events of the Dec. 2, 2015, attack will undoubtedly be remembered as the darkest moment in the City of San Bernardino,” Chief Probation Officer Michelle Scray Brown wrote in a news release. “But, the support of our community pastors, organizations and local restaurants displayed the invincible spirit of compassion and love that will move us forward.” Members of the Salvation Army and volunteers from the American Red Cross Inland Empire Chapter provided food and drinks, serving more than 500 at the center. Local restaurants: BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Cardenas Market, Chick-fil-A, Costco, Jimmy John’s, McDonalds, and countless others provided food and encouragement to those at the center. The symposium included a panel discussion and answer session with Division Director II Don Viser, the Probation Peer Support Coordinator, Dr. Tammy McCoy-Arballo from the Counseling Team International, and Nancy Olsen, Program Manager II with the Department of Behavioral Health. The panel shared information about responses to behavioral health concerns following community violence, recognizing post-incident stress and connecting community members with resources.