LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas woman who has responded to more than 600 community crises as a volunteer is being recognized as this month's Vegas Stronger Champion.
Tami J. has volunteered with the Trauma Intervention Program, known as TIP, for 11 years. TIP sends trained volunteers to the scenes of traumatic events to provide emotional support to survivors, witnesses, and families — filling a gap that first responders often cannot meet.
Tami's connection to the organization is personal.
"We had a tragedy in my own family, and a TIP volunteer came out to my family and helped. I didn't really know anything about TIP then, and then fast forward a few years, I read an article in the newspaper about this organization, and it sounded familiar. I'm like, I wonder if that's who came to my home. And so I looked into it, went through the academy, and here I am," Tami said.
That was more than a decade ago. TIP is a community-based organization built on volunteer service.
Being a Las Vegas native drives Tami's commitment to the work.
"I was born and raised here so I feel a strong sense of community, and I feel that to have community you have to give — it's a give and take — and so to be able to give back to my community is huge for me," Tami said.
Jill Roberts, who leads the organization, said TIP currently has 65 volunteers and operates around the clock.
"We provide support 24 hours a day. Last year, we responded to just under 2,000 scenes here. So that's five to six times a day. Our volunteers are out there providing support within the community. Tami specifically has been with us for 11 years. Can you imagine? It's a volunteer position. People don't usually stay at jobs that long, and yet she's been with us for 11 years, month after month after month, going out on calls. Supporting people in their worst moments," Roberts said.
TIP's volunteers were also called into action on one of the darkest nights in Las Vegas history.
"We were heavily involved in 1 October. Our response started while the shooting was still taking place, and we sent volunteers out to every hospital that individuals were located at. We were at the scene. We were at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters," Roberts said.
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When asked what qualities make an ideal TIP volunteer, Roberts pointed directly to Tami as the example.
"Definitely compassion, compassion for people, care for people, just wanting to support your neighbor through a really hard time and being there in those hard moments. Really our ideal volunteer is a Tami — just full of compassion and love for people," Roberts said.
Tami said the diversity within the organization is part of what makes it special.
"Just everyone in the organization — it's just a special group of people. We come from different backgrounds, we're very different, but this is the one thing that unites us, and we all wanna give back to our community," Tami said.
Jeff Giles of Findlay Automotive Group presented Tami with the Vegas Stronger Champion recognition.
"When we talked to TIP about kind of commemorating that event, they had said, you know what, we have a really exceptional volunteer and her name's Tami. And so we wanted to highlight you actually this month as our Vegas Stronger champion for what you've done. I understand you've gone out on more than 100 calls in a year. That's incredible, and I know that you've helped so many people and so we just wanna celebrate you and offer you this little token of our appreciation and this is for you personally and for just the great work that you've been doing," Giles said.
TIP's next volunteer training academy is scheduled for January. More information is available at the TIP website or by calling 702-229-0426.
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