In 2012, the Durango Acupuncture Alliance began our first community service project, The Durango Veterans Acupuncture Clinic.  Then, in 2016 we moved to a new location and opened the clinic not only to veterans, but to the general community – those suffering from stress, or any unresolved trauma. The Durango Acupuncture Alliance is a group of independent, licensed acupuncturists, who have joined together in service to the community, offering our skills and the many benefits of Chinese medicine. This clinic is dedicated to offering community style acupuncture treatments for those in need. Our intention is to provide individuals access to healing in a supportive environment. We hope to interrupt the cycle of unresolved trauma, and to assist in the process of recovery from the impact of traumatic events. Community style acupuncture is a simple, effective, low cost modality that offers immediate and effective treatment to large numbers of people. We are part of a network of over 35 othervolunteer, donation based clinics nationwide. Since the clinic began in September 2012, we have provided more than 700 treatments to our community. From information gathered from our after treatment surveys (just under 100 collected) more than half reported the treatments helped to reduce their level of stress. Other ways in which the treatment helped was with sleep, anxiety, depression, nightmares, headache, anger, and coping with day to day life as well as fatigue, pain, hearing and improved mental clarity. One of the most common remarks from participants is how good it felt to have someone care for them. The model that we use for our program was established in Albuquerque, NM by the organization Acupuncturists Without Borders. Through its volunteer network, AWB has been able to provide immediate and long term relief and recovery to communities in crisis resulting from disaster and human conflict all over the world. They have offered treatment to people after hurricane Katrina,tornadoes in Joplin, Mo., the California and Colorado wildfires, shootings in Arizona and Colorado, and the earthquake in Haiti. For more information about AWB please visit