‘Laughing But Serious’ event raises money to help first responders manage effects of stress

Melissa Salinas shares a story from her childhood with the crowd at Joe’s on Weed Street during a fundraising event for her company, Authentic Revival Movement. The Laughing but Serious event brought comics together to raise funds to help first responders learn techniques to help respond to the stress of their jobs. (Emmanuel Camarillo/Sun-Times)

Melissa Salinas was 13 years old when she lost a friend to gun violence in Little Village in 2001.

After the shooting, her family connected her with therapists who helped her process her trauma, she said. That experience inspired her to become a licensed clinical psychologist and help others work through their own trauma.