Killingly, CT — On Saturday, January 31, 2026, surrounded by dozens of friends, first responders, veterans, and community members, CEO Keven McNeill and Vice President Michael Shabenas cut the ribbon and officially opened the Quiet Corner Peer Support Group’s Wellness Center, located at 148 Wauregan Road in Killingly.
McNeill, who spoke first during the ceremony, shared a story about a buffalo that has become a guiding motto for the organization—one that reflects how first responders confront trauma.
“Picture a prairie just before a storm,” McNeill said. “The sky is wide, and everything is quiet enough to feel wrong. Then the wind shifts, the clouds drop low, and everything knows what’s coming.
The cows feel it first. They turn and run, convinced that distance means safety—but storms move faster than fear. The harder they flee, the longer they stay in the storm, drenched in rain, battered by wind, chased by thunder.
The buffalo feel the same warning, but instead of running, they lift their heads, square their bodies, and charge straight into the storm. The rain stings harder and the wind hits faster, but the suffering is brief. They pass through the heart of it and emerge into open skies—on steady ground, calm earned rather than avoided.
That’s when the story stopped being about animals,” he continued. “It became about us as first responders. When trauma hits, we run. We stay busy, we joke, we drink, we bury our anger and call it strength. Avoidance feels like survival in the moment, but it keeps us trapped.
Trauma doesn’t disappear when we ignore it. It waits. It gathers speed. You can outrun the calls, the memories, the images, and the feelings for a while—but the storm always catches up.
The buffalo remind us that courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s movement in spite of it. It’s choosing the shortest path through the pain instead of the longest way around it.”
McNeill said the wellness center exists to give responders a place to face those storms directly.
“This past week alone, two responders reached out for help,” he said. “They walked through these doors while they were still in the storm. By the time they left, they were smiling and laughing. They felt like they had made it through for the day. That’s what this place is about. It’s about healing.”
During the ceremony, Vice President Michael Shabenas emphasized the urgency of making peer support accessible.
“For every first responder and veteran out there who has served your community and your country with honor and respect—it’s time for us to start serving you, because enough is enough,” Shabenas said.
“You go home and suffer in silence. We have to end that stigma. These doors are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We don’t have business hours because mental health does not have business hours.”
Shabenas also thanked the fire companies represented at the event and highlighted the town’s commitment to addressing first responder mental health.
“Remember, it takes great strength to reach out and ask for help,” he said.
“We’re not going to stop—we’re going to keep climbing.”
Following Shabenas’s remarks, several community leaders addressed the crowd, including representatives from the Killingly Town Council, the Killingly Business Association, the Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, and the state government, each highlighting the importance of the wellness center and the need to support first responders and veterans in the region.
Beginning today, the wellness center is open 24/7 for appointments at (860) 270-0911, serving area first responders and veterans in need of peer support services. The facility includes a private counseling room for Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol (ASAP) sessions or visits with psychologists at no cost. A second combined office and counseling room is available when multiple individuals are seeking support simultaneously.
The building also features a classroom capable of accommodating approximately 30 people, allowing for ASAP training courses, group support sessions, and wellness activities such as trauma-focused yoga. In addition, the wellness center serves as a home base and staging location for the Peer Support Group when activated to assist regional departments following critical incidents.
The wellness center was partially funded by the Town of Killingly using money from the state’s opioid settlement fund. Read our initial story on the request for funding here.
The Quiet Corner Peer Support Group (QCPSG) is a community-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization funded entirely through donations and grants. The group provides free professional peer support, training, and critical incident assistance to first responders. Members are trained in the Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol (ASAP). Comprised of active and retired first responders, mental health professionals, military veterans, K9 therapy handlers, and chaplains, QCPSG offers a comprehensive approach to alleviating stress and addressing the mental health challenges faced by those on the front lines. Learn more here.
