GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — An upcoming conference in Grand Rapids is aiming to bring the community together by focusing on overcoming trauma.

The local non-profit Family Futures has teamed up with Grand Valley State University to host the second year of the Practicing Resilience Conference.

“The theme of the conference this year is relationship building. Building strong relationships through resilience, especially community resilience,” said Brooke Aernouts, trauma and resilience coordinator at Family Futures.

She said several local organizations will hold sessions and panels to explore strategies to help create meaningful relationships throughout the city.

“We want to showcase all the ways in which Grand Rapids is strong and we really want to help people zero in on how it is that relationships can really be one of the strongest buffers against a lot of the traumas that we’re seeing, in our neighborhoods and in our Grand Rapids community,” said Aernouts.

The Practicing Resilience Conference is happening Thursday, April 13, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grand Valley State University Pew Campus Loosemore Auditorium. It is open to the public. You can sign up at the Family Futures website.