This is Our Community: After Silver Rail

Written By Central Oregon GSA

Central Oregon,

There are no words. If you are like me, your emotions are in a swirl; your sadness is giving way to anger before it whiplashes you back to despair. You are rage-cleaning, binge-watching, holding your children tight. You are telling your friends and family from afar that no, you are not “ok.” You are safe, but you are not ok. Maybe you will never be ok again. 

Many of you have reached out asking how to get involved. We hear you — and we have a place to start.

First, Take Care of Yourself

Here are some suggestions.

  • Acknowledge and Validate Emotions: Shock, fear, numbness, anger, guilt, and sadness are normal reactions to a traumatic event, not signs of weakness. Allow yourself to feel them without judgment.

  • Limit Media and Social Media Exposure: Turn off news broadcasts and avoid "doomscrolling" or re-watching footage of the event, which can re-activate and heighten stress. Set specific, limited times to check for necessary updates.

  • Ground Yourself in the Present: When anxiety or intrusive thoughts spike, use simple grounding techniques like deep breathing, gentle stretching, or focusing on your immediate physical surroundings.

  • Avoid Alcohol and Substances: While it may be tempting to use drugs or alcohol to numb painful feelings, they can worsen anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances over time.

  • Lean on Support Networks: Connect with trusted family, friends, or community members who offer a sense of safety and calm. You do not have to go through the aftermath alone.

Do what feels right, but when in doubt, reach out. Thank a first responder; text your friend to check in; sit in a cafe and smile at a stranger.

Then, Take Action

If there is one thing I’ve learned in 13 years of being steeped in the gut-wrenching work of gun tragedy prevention, it is that action is the antidote. We started Central Oregon Gun Safety Advocates in 2024 because the national organizations didn’t understand our local landscape, culture, and realities.

Here are a few ways you can get involved right now:

Secure Your Firearms & Spread the Word

Here is what we know: Safe Storage Saves Lives.

The single most important thing we can do in Central Oregon is spread the word about the critical importance of securely storing firearms and ammunition. The research is clear: Secure storage saves lives.

Guns are a part of our culture, and we know more than half of Oregon households own firearms. Unfortunately, keeping firearms in the home also increases the risk of children gaining access, too often leading to suicide, unintentional death/injuries, and school shootings.

Lock up your guns.

Ask yourself, “Could someone access my gun today if they wanted to?” If the answer is yes, then you need to do something about it. See this page on our website for a list of locations that offer free gun locks.

Then, tell your friends, family, and neighbors: Take personal responsibility and secure your firearms, including firearms in your vehicles.

Secure storage can prevent school shootings. Most weapons used in school shootings are taken from an underage shooter’s home or someone they knew, where the firearms were not stored securely.

Secure storage also prevents firearm suicide. Multiple peer‑reviewed studies find that living in a home with a gun increases the risk of suicide 2- to 3-fold. In fact, three-quarters of gun deaths in Oregon are due to suicide.

Join our outreach team to help: That’s why we go out into the community – to Redmond National Night Out, to the La Pine Rhubarb Festival, to local medical providers – to give out gun safes, gun locks, and information on why these are important.  If you want to join our Outreach Team, please fill out this form. Far from being confrontational, these events are a positive way to connect with the community.

Donate To Families & Silver Rail

Donate To Oregon Gun Safety Organizations

We are not a 501(c)(3) organization, so we can’t accept donations. However, if you feel moved to give, please support:

  • Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership (GOFRO): Our partner in the grant we received from St. Charles Health System to offer pistol safes and gun locks to families in Central Oregon.

Help Change Our Laws

We are the purple, moderate heart of this state. We must make our voices heard in Salem. There are common-sense fixes in our current laws that will save lives without trampling on the rights of gun owners. Spring 2027 legislature is coming soon. Join our team and we will teach you how to make your voice heard.

Spread the Word About Our Central Oregon Focused Group

With love and in grief,

Deb Gaisford, Co-Founder

& Your Local Team 

Central Oregon GSA
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