We are Sharri and Anthony Thomas, founders of Rivers in the Desert. Our work centers on community trauma response and recovery—creating spaces where people can process what they’ve lived through, especially in the wake of violence, loss, and life-changing events. Sharri’s background as a firefighter and EMT, combined with Anthony’s work in violence prevention and CVI leadership, shaped this work from the ground up—responding directly to real moments of crisis, loss, and community impact.

Through that work, we created Healing Across America, a storytelling series built on real experiences of grief, survival, and what it means to keep going after everything changes. What started as storytelling grew into something deeper. Because we learned quickly that when people see real stories, they don’t just watch—they recognize themselves in them. When that happens, they need somewhere for that recognition to go. That is why we now bring these stories into communities through the Healing Village Experience.