Touch of Relief, Inc. (TOR) was created in 2007 to give greater access to trauma populations that would immensely benefit from holistic health and wellness programs but have limited access. This need was recognized through community outreach programs at Potomac Massage Training Institute (PMTI) in Washington, D.C., and a plan to develop services that would offer holistic health care, wellness education, training to underserved groups, and coordination of disaster relief deployments was born.
Through this lens, a model program initially funded by the Balm Foundation to provide massage therapy to military families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was used to add additional sites around the country. Less than a year in operation, TOR received a grant from the Palmer Foundation to serve domestic violence survivors at shelters in D.C. Partnerships were established and grassroots volunteer programs were developed and staffed by local, professional health care practitioners.
Today, TOR continues to be staffed by volunteers who support teams of holistic health care professionals in Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Austin, Killen-TX, San Diego, Palo Alto-CA, Seattle, Denver, Aurora-CO, and Bethesda-MD. More sites are being developed with the help of new community partners and dedicated therapists and teachers with open hearts and passion to serve.