A closer look at 10 nonprofits we are supporting this year who are making a huge impact. **Trigger warning: this content contains references to themes of violence and mental health issues which some individuals may find distressing.**
October marks the eighth consecutive month of celebrating our 10-year anniversary by making donations of $100, each, to 10 non-profits. This 10×100 Campaign has been our way of giving something back to the world that has given so much to us. This month, we’re donating $100 to Sandy Hook Promise, and sharing this Q&A with the organization’s Co-Founders, Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden. **Trigger warning: this content contains references to themes of violence and mental health issues which some individuals may find distressing.**
When was Sandy Hook Promise founded and how does it fulfill its mission?
In January 2013, several families whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, launched Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization. Sandy Hook Promise’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships.
Tell us more about the people Sandy Hook Promise serves and why it’s so important.
Sandy Hook Promise’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Therefore, it is the children and their communities we serve. Our work is not only important, it is impactful as evidenced by the fact that we have averted 15 school shootings, saved more than 450 lives through crisis intervention, and have prevented another 143 acts of violence.
Does Sandy Hook Promise have a moonshot mission?
Sandy Hook Promise envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence.
What is the easiest way for donors to make a contribution to Sandy Hook Promise?
Interested parties may donate directly to Sandy Hook Promise via our website.
How can people help Sandy Hook Promise other than making a financial donation?
Real change in how America approaches gun reform and school safety isn’t possible without our supporters, activists, and volunteers. Lives are being saved. Whether you have five minutes or want to dig in deeper with volunteering or writing letters to your representatives, there’s so much that can make an impact. Learn more on our website page – What You Can Do Right Now to Help End Gun Violence.
What else do you want people to know about Sandy Hook Promise?
Gun violence isn’t inevitable. It’s preventable when we “know the signs.” Since launching in January 2015, more than 21 million students, educators, and community leaders have participated the Know the Signs programs. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence. Students and educators have anonymously reported more than 170,000 tips, resulting in more than 3,000 mental health interventions saving at least 450 students from suicide. As a result of these programs, more than 143 acts of violence with a weapon have been prevented, including 15 planned school shootings.
