Yuma gala celebrates 15 years, raises funds for trauma care

A Havana Nights gala at Paradise Casino put Yuma’s trauma-care needs front and center, pairing a 15-year milestone with a fundraiser for The Healing Journey’s counseling and mentoring programs. The event was listed at the Paradise Casino event center, 450 Quechan Dr. in Yuma, with dinner, live music and a silent auction, and tickets set at $75.

The Healing Journey says it is a licensed counseling agency through the Arizona Department of Health Services, and that its staff members are certified as trauma specialists through the Arizona Trauma Institute. Its services reach well beyond one-on-one therapy, including trauma-focused psychotherapy, individual, family, couples and group therapy, case management, support groups, life skills, mentoring and ABA therapy.

That mix matters in a county where emotional stress, grief and trauma can spill into school, work and family life. The Healing Journey says its mission is to be a safe place where people can begin healing through trauma-informed therapy, and its charitable profile for the State of Arizona Employees Charitable Campaign identifies programs that include Girls United, Women’s Empowerment and boys groups.

The gala was built around that broader service model. Instead of functioning as a simple social night out, the fundraiser was designed to help sustain a local nonprofit that provides trauma-informed care for children, parents and adults who need a place to process difficult experiences and build healthier coping strategies. The organization also thanked sponsors who helped bring the event to life, underscoring that the fundraiser depended on community backing as much as on nonprofit staff.

The anniversary also points to a longer record of outreach in Yuma. The Healing Journey’s website shows it held a youth sex trafficking awareness presentation on Aug. 20, 2024, a reminder that its work extends beyond office-based counseling into prevention and education.

For Yuma, the significance of the gala was not the theme alone. It was a public test of whether local giving can keep trauma-informed care available for families who need it most, and whether a nonprofit built over 15 years can continue turning celebration into sustained support.