How community support becomes key to DC-area residents in wake of Potomac River crash

With the impact of the American Airlines crash reverberating across the D.C. region, residents are being called on to lend support to one another and seek community in their time of grief in the days and weeks to come.

Northern Virginia school communities are working to support students after learning the flight involved in Wednesday night’s crash was carrying some of their classmates.

In a letter to families on Thursday, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said three students and six parents were on board the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas. They haven’t been publicly identified yet.

Virginia’s largest school division is sending crisis counselors and teams to the schools that are “most directly impacted,” Reid told 海角精品黑料, and they’re making counseling services available for staff members “should they feel anxious and concerned as well.”

“It’s important to come together, to share resources, to share support, to be present for one another, and often simply to listen to the concerns and the really deep-seated grief and fear that many in our community are feeling right now,” Reid said.

The school district, Reid said, has tele-mental health services available for students, and is sharing links to other resources online. One link takes viewers to a page with tips for how to talk to children about challenging topics.

“In a community, there are many people willing to help and listen,” Reid said. “Neighbors, faith leaders, folks in all professions and walks of life that are grieving together and want to help. Reach out to a trusted adult or a trusted friend and that will help ease the anxiety and guide us through these times.”

Reid is continuing to communicate with staff, too, “because sometimes there are rumors out there that are not factual, and we want to make sure that our staff and our community have access to the facts.”

Meanwhile, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence said several of the passengers had been former students in the county school system. He’s urging staff to use the employee assistance program, and is encouraging students who need the extra support to email the school division.

More information on resources for Fairfax and Loudoun county students is available online.

Therapist warns against grieving through stressful times alone

Whether it鈥檚 the hundreds of families now grieving the loss of a relative or friend, or the millions of people from around the District sharing some of the pain they鈥檙e feeling, there鈥檚 a lot of emotions that need to be coped with.

In times like this, finding your community and relying on them to help you process becomes extremely important.

鈥淲hen it comes down to those more vulnerable emotions and experiences, whether it’s frustration, sadness, turning to people that you trust, that you have some sort of emotional history with,鈥 becomes that much more important, according to Tiara Fennell, clinic director for the Center for Healthy Families at the University of Maryland.

The person you turn to should be someone you can express your emotions to and, even if it鈥檚 not the most coherent or healthy, won鈥檛 judge you since they know who you really are and what you鈥檙e going through, she said.

It鈥檚 OK to take your time getting to that point as well.

Fennell said some people might take a while to sort out their emotions and be able to put into words how they feel. If you can鈥檛 do that right away, it鈥檚 understandable. But, she also said, eventually, you do have to get to that point.

鈥淚 think there’s a thin line between internally processing and just avoiding,鈥 Fennell said.

She also believes that you might be pleasantly surprised by the support that鈥檚 waiting for you, if you are struggling right now. Turbulent moments, whether you鈥檙e directly impacted or just empathizing with someone who has been, can bring out the best in others.

鈥淭here’s still compassion, empathy, there’s still people who want to be kind to one another and to be supportive of one another, whether or not I have a personal relationship with you or not,鈥 Fennell said. 鈥淚 personally believe for us to see a shift and change in the world, the way that we want and in our society, that’s where it begins.

鈥淲e become our best when we have to respond to these negative things that happen,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 hope it’s something that we continue to hold on to.鈥

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

漏 2025 海角精品黑料. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

John Domen

John started working at 海角精品黑料 in 2016 after having grown up in Maryland listening to the station as a child. While he got his on-air start at small stations in Pennsylvania and Delaware, he's spent most of his career in the D.C. area, having been heard on several local stations before coming to 海角精品黑料.

Scott Gelman

Scott Gelman is a digital editor and writer for 海角精品黑料. A South Florida native, Scott graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019. During his time in College Park, he worked for The Diamondback, the school鈥檚 student newspaper.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your 海角精品黑料 account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up