Light Up to Live Foundation Donates Two Polychromatic Light Therapy Systems to Garland Police Department Wellness and Recovery Room

Light Up to Live Foundation (LUTL), a Dallas-based, 501-c3 charity supporting veteran health, was honored to donate two polychromatic LED Light Therapy Systems and present them in December at the Garland Police Department’s 2nd annual Wellness Day. The light systems provide a drug-free approach to chronic pain management. After the recent loss of one of their supervisors to suicide, the Garland PD management team named an annual day in December to promote and discuss the various wellness options and opportunities available to their personnel.

Throughout the day, participants discussed the eight dimensions of wellness (Emotional, Environmental, Financial, Intellectual, Occupational, Physical, Social, and Spiritual wellness) and saw demonstrations from their area partners and providers. Going forward, this program will include demonstrations of services including yoga for first responders, neurofeedback, as well as counseling services, chiropractic expertise, and more.

Part of the program includes the new Wellness and Recovery Room also known as WAR. It is a dedicated space for officers and personnel to decompress, reduce stress, and manage the daily challenges of the job. It is also a place to build physical and mental wellness and resilience, and recover physically and mentally after critical or traumatic incidents.

This WAR room is crucial for Garland PD (many of their officers being Veterans) as our modern law enforcement environment includes exposure to traumatic events, high demands, high stress, and overall job performance. Like many agencies, Garland PD has dedicated spaces for training aspects of the job, including classrooms, a fitness gym, a shooting range, and a driving course. The WAR room serves a similar purpose, providing a dedicated space for training, wellness, and mental and emotional health recovery.

Pictured here receiving the light systems are Garland Police Officers Josh Wren and Christian “Tank” Gipson with LUTL Executive Director Maureen Ellis and LUTL Planning Committee Member Sheena Sharapata who also serves as Director of Marketing Events and Community at Randall Reed’s Planet Ford 635 in Garland.

The Light Up to Live Foundation’s mission is to advance the physical and mental health of military veterans who suffer from chronic pain, brain injury, depression, and PTS. It provides at no charge portable polychromatic light therapy systems, highly trained service dogs, and grants to pay for physician-assisted psychedelic drug therapy. The Randall Reed Family founded the organization as a military family and founded the World Class Automotive Operation based in Texas.

For more information visit, www.lightuptolive.org or contact Angela Enright, board member, at AEnright@LightUpToLive.org or call 214-379-1445.