Sandy Hook Promise Sign Up Information

Harper, we don’t want you to miss out: Tomorrow is the last day to order your special edition Sandy Hook Promise orange T-shirt for National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 5 – and our supply is going fast.

Our work has never been more critical: Recent data shows that even more children are in imminent danger from gun violence during this pandemic. So even though we can’t come together in person on June 5, we will still be wearing special Sandy Hook Promise orange T-shirts to show our commitment to saving lives and preventing future tragedies – and we hope you’ll join us.

By ordering your T-shirt in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, you’re directly funding our work to protect children from gun violence. Will you order one today, before our stock runs out?

Please give $26 to get your Sandy Hook Promise #WearOrange shirt today. We only have a few left, and orders need to be submitted by Wednesday to ensure you get it in time to wear on June 5, so don’t wait.

Order Now

Thank you for all you do to fuel this movement and help us honor our loved ones by protecting children from gun violence. It means so much to have your support.

Sandy Hook Promise

Order Now

Jacob,

Last month, we received an incredible 4,300 survey responses from dedicated members of the Sandy Hook Promise community. With reports of gun violence and children in imminent danger on the rise, we’re so grateful to know that people like you are by our side in this urgent and lifesaving mission.

Election Day is just a few short weeks from now, and we need to be ready to ramp up our advocacy efforts and urge new lawmakers to finally take action to protect children from gun violence. That’s why it’s so important for us to get your input on our strategy for the months following the election.

We need at least 10,000 responses to our October Strategy Survey before I go over everyone’s input with Mark and Nicole on Monday – and I really want to make sure we get your thoughts ahead of our meeting. Will you take just 60 seconds to share your feedback now?

Please click here to take our quick survey to help inform our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. Your input couldn’t be more important to all of us at Sandy Hook Promise.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Stranger Things Actress’s Jewelry Line Partners with Sandy Hook Promise

Imagine a world where illegal weapons are transformed into stunning jewelry that supports gun violence prevention programs. It’s not science fiction. It''s reality for social entrepreneur Peter Thum and his partner Cara Buono, who plays Karen Wheeler on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Driven by their passion to free children from gun violence, the two launched a jewelry line, Liberty United, in 2013. Their stylish pieces, including bracelets, necklaces, rings and more, are made from illegal guns that have been destroyed by law enforcement.

All retail profit through October 11 will be donated to Sandy Hook Promise.

There’s only one week left to get your exclusive discount. Please shop now!

Thanks in part to their support, we''ve provided trainings to students in every state in the US! Shop their Sandy Hook Promise collection, get free shipping and get a 10% discount with code: SHP920.

Shop Now

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Students Start With Hello Nationwide

While schools opened with uncertainty, one thing students can always count on is Start With Hello. Thanks to your generosity, this critical program is helping students stay connected despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, social isolation is on the rise. The good news is, your support is helping counter that trend in communities across America.

This year, students got creative with ways to connect with their peers with an outpouring of kindness in social media. Both virtually and in the classroom, thousands of students raised awareness about social isolation and created kinder communities through our Start With Hello celebrations.

Sharing is caring! You can join in by searching #StartWithHello on your social networks. Like and share with your friends to keep the kindness going!

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Your tax-deductible support will help protect more children from gun violence.

Donate

Jacob,

At Tuesday’s first presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace will ask the candidates about their plans for the next four years. As a mom who misses my beautiful butterfly Dylan every single day, I have a question that I want answered: What will our next president do to prevent gun violence?

But right now, even after hundreds of mass shootings and thousands of precious lives lost to gun violence since the last presidential election, gun violence prevention isn’t one of the “leading issues facing the country” announced as topics for the debate.

I know you''re committed to building a safer world for all of our children, so I hope you''ll help Sandy Hook Promise urge debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask this question at the presidential debate so every voter can hear where the candidates stand. Will you please sign our petition now?

Click here to sign the petition urging debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask the candidates: What will you do to prevent gun violence?

Sign the Petition

I''ve seen the human toll of inaction – it’s precious lives like Dylan’s. With children at risk every moment our elected leaders fail to take action, we need a president who is willing to join the overwhelming number of Americans who support meaningful gun safety reforms and do what it takes to protect our children from gun violence in our schools and communities.

Thank you so much for making sure voters know where our presidential candidates stand on preventing future tragedies.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan’s mom)

Donate

Jacob,

The shooter who murdered my beautiful butterfly Dylan took ten 30-round gun magazines into Sandy Hook Elementary. It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators.

In an instant, my baby boy was gone forever.

In the time it took the shooter to pause and reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. I can’t help but think about how, if those magazines were limited to just a fraction of the rounds, Dylan might still be alive today.

That''s why I need your help right now. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – and Congress has refused to even vote on it.

I know there’s a lot going on right now, but we can’t wait until after the election or the next school shooting to demand action. Children’s lives are at risk every day Congress fails to pass this legislation. So please, will you sign our petition to help us reach 30,000 signatures this week, demanding Congress finally act before more lives are senselessly lost?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress make high-capacity gun ammunition magazines illegal. We can’t let up our pressure if we’re going to pass this commonsense legislation that will help protect more children, like my baby boy, from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Dylan continues to be a light in my life, and I will spend the rest of my days building a legacy for him that ensures his light continues to shine. By helping me in this work to protect children like him from gun violence, you''re making that legacy possible.

Thank you so much – it truly means the world to me.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Jacob,

For my wife Mary, the start of summer was always a little bittersweet.

On one hand, it meant spending more time with our family, enjoying hours in her garden and reading on the porch. On the other, it meant saying goodbye to the students at Sandy Hook Elementary, where she was the school psychologist.

She loved her job so much – she would do anything for her students. That''s why she didn''t think twice about running toward the sound of gunfire on Dec. 14, 2012. She gave her life to protect those kids.

Nothing can bring Mary back. And while summer is another painful reminder that she isn''t with us, I can still honor her by dedicating my life to protecting children from gun violence.

Please join me in working to prevent the next tragedy. We''re still falling short of our $70,000 fiscal year-end fundraising goal, so I''m personally asking you: Will you donate right now to help us reach our final goal of the fiscal year and protect more children from gun violence?

Please donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight tomorrow. Every dollar you give will go directly toward our work to prevent the next tragedy and protect more children from gun violence next year.

I still miss Mary each and every day – especially during the summer, when we''d slow down, relax by the lake and make plans for our future. That future was taken from us – but I like to think Mary is proud of how we''re carrying on her legacy by coming together to do what she cared about most: helping and protecting children.

Your support of this work helps us do that, and it means more than I could ever express. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Bill Sherlach

Donate

Jacob,

When a parent loses a child to gun violence, every day without them is difficult – but birthdays are some of the hardest. They are painful reminders that while you get older, your child never will.

That''s why, with Mark Barden''s birthday coming up on Monday, we want to make sure he knows that this community is sending all of our love and support his way – and making a promise to keep taking action in his son Daniel''s honor.

We hope you''ll join us by signing our card to let Mark know that our hearts are with him as he spends yet another birthday without Daniel – and that we''re committed to doing everything we can to prevent other parents like him from losing a child to gun violence. Will you sign Mark''s birthday card now?

Please sign Sandy Hook Promise''s card to send your love and support to Mark Barden on his birthday – and a promise to never stop working to protect other children like Daniel from gun violence.

Sign the Card

Thank you so much for helping us wrap Mark in love and comfort on difficult days like these. We can''t tell you how much we appreciate your support, and all you do to help us protect children from gun violence.

Sandy Hook Promise

Donate

Jacob,

4,980 dedicated members of the Sandy Hook Promise community responded to the survey we sent around last month. As we continue to see more lives lost to gun violence and reports of children in imminent danger during this pandemic, it’s as meaningful as ever to know that so many of you are by our side in this lifesaving work.

Looking toward the new school year, we have a lot of work ahead of us to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence. That’s why it’s critically important for us to get your feedback on what we should prioritize in the coming months.

We need at least 10,000 responses on our July Strategy Survey before I go over everyone’s input with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I really want to make sure your thoughts are included at our meeting. Will you take just 60 seconds to share your feedback now?

Please click here to take our quick survey to help inform our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. You are at the center of our work, so it’s critically important for us to hear your thoughts.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

Donate

Our hearts are broken yet again, Jacob.

More than 160 people were killed and 500 more injured by gun violence over the July Fourth holiday, including a 7-year-old girl in Chicago playing in her yard, an 8-year-old boy in Alabama walking through a mall and an 8-year-old girl in Atlanta sitting in her mom’s car. The toll of this loss on our country and the disproportionate toll on Black families is heartbreaking.

It’s another gut-wrenching reminder that we must keep pushing for gun safety reform – there are precious lives on the line if we don’t move quickly enough to prevent the next tragedy.

But our leaders still do nothing. It’s been almost a year and a half since the House passed universal background checks legislation that could have prevented shootings like the ones that took place across the country last week – but the Senate refuses to even vote on it.

Every day the Senate fails to act puts more children''s lives at risk, so we cannot stand by silently. We need another 30,000 petition signatures to keep the pressure on senators to finally pass this critical bill, but we''re falling short of our goal. Will you sign the petition now to demand a vote on universal background checks?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding the Senate pass universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who are at risk of hurting themselves or others and protect children from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Thank you so much for speaking out to demand action and make lifesaving change. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Jacob,

Every day without my sweet little Daniel is hard – but days like Father’s Day are the hardest.

Daniel’s absence – his empty chair at the kitchen table – is just that much more evident.

In the first few years after Daniel was murdered, days like tomorrow all melted together. It was a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process of managing my grief and trying not to let it consume me – all while trying to be the best dad I could be to my surviving children, James and Natalie.

I can’t tell anyone else how to navigate a Father’s Day without their child – especially those who are separated from their loved ones during this difficult time of social distancing. All I can say to them is that I’m so sorry. They just have to get through it the best they can and connect with those who love them however possible.

That’s why this year, it’s so important to me that fathers whose children were murdered like Daniel know that I''m sending my love and support their way – along with a promise that I’m trying my best to prevent it from happening to another family. Jacob, it would mean so much if you’d join me in sending that message of support by tomorrow. Will you please sign our Father’s Day card now?

Please click here to sign Sandy Hook Promise’s Father’s Day card to send your support and promise for action to all the fathers whose children have been killed by gun violence.

Sign the Card

Life without my sweet little Daniel will never get easier, but every memory I have of him burns bright in my heart and mind. Daniel was a light that can never be dimmed, and I put all my energy into this work to honor his too-short life.

I owe it to him and to other families to prevent more tragedies from happening so other dads won’t have to reckon with a Father’s Day without their child because of gun violence. That’s why I’m so grateful for your support – it means so much, especially on Father''s Day.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Jacob,

The shooter who murdered my beautiful butterfly Dylan took ten 30-round gun magazines into Sandy Hook Elementary. It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators.

In an instant, my baby boy was gone forever.

In the time it took the shooter to pause and reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. I can’t help but think about how, if those magazines were limited to just a fraction of the rounds, Dylan might still be alive today.

That''s why I need your help right now. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – but Congress has refused to even vote on it.

I know there are a lot of other priorities at the moment, but more children’s lives are at risk every day that Congress fails to pass this legislation. That’s why it’s critical that we collect 25,000 petition signatures demanding that Congress finally act before more lives are senselessly lost. Will you please sign our petition now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress immediately make high-capacity gun ammunition magazines illegal. This is commonsense legislation that will help protect more children, like my baby boy, from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Dylan continues to be a light in my life, and I will spend the rest of my days building a legacy for him that ensures his light continues to shine. By helping me in this work to protect children like him from gun violence, you''re making that legacy possible.

Thank you so much – it truly means the world to me.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Hi Jacob,

If you’re like me, you’re wondering just how much pressure our students can take during the COVID-19 upheaval in their lives. Youth suicide is becoming a public health crisis. And, as with other forms of violence and self-harm, there are warning signs. This means suicide is preventable.

Today, Sandy Hook Promise is launching Say Something: Prevent Suicide, a new training that expands on core Say Something program to:

• teach the warning signs and risk factors specific to suicide
• provide expert guidance on what to do when seeing someone at risk of harming themselves

The training video takes 20 minutes to complete and includes resources for students, parents, and educators. And it can be done remotely for adults (due to the sensitive nature of the content, a school-based setting is required for student training video).

To access Say Something: Prevent Suicide, go to Sandy Hook Promise’s Learning Center and register. Registering is free and will take less than a minute. I hope you’ll check it out and share with others who care about keeping kids safe.

Grateful for your support,

Nicole
Co-Founder and Managing Director

P.S.

To better understand the scope of the issue surrounding mental health and suicide, watch our webinar: Suicide Prevention During COVID-19 Social Isolation

Harper,

As the digital director at Sandy Hook Promise, a big part of my job is figuring out how we can best use our online resources to protect more children from gun violence. One of the most instrumental tools in our lifesaving work is this community of supporters – including you.

The ways we expand our grassroots efforts to prevent tragedies before they happen are changing constantly, so I''m reaching out to personally ask for your feedback in our brief online focus group.

We need to hear from 7,500 supporters before I go over the results with Mark and Nicole during our video meeting at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your input is included. Will you take just a moment now to share your thoughts?

Please click here to begin our brief focus group and help set our strategy to protect even more children from gun violence. It will only take 1-2 minutes of your time, and your input today truly will make a huge difference in our work.

Begin Focus Group

Thank you for all you do,

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

Donate

Jacob,

Last month, we were so heartened to have 15,231 members of this dedicated community complete the survey we sent about our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. We’ve been looking over everyone’s input, and the insights have been invaluable:

• Nearly everyone – about 91% of survey-takers – believes passing universal background checks is the most important measure for preventing gun violence.
• An incredible 74% of respondents have already signed a petition demanding gun safety reform – and 70% have voted for a candidate who is committed to reducing gun violence.
• 34% of respondents said that Sandy Hook Promise’s advocacy efforts would be the most effective way to convince someone to support our work, while 31% thought our educational programs for students and educators would be most effective.

As we look to the months ahead, there is still so much more we need to do to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence – especially as new and urgent challenges continue to arise during this pandemic. That’s why it’s as important as ever to hear from you about what we should prioritize right now.

We need at least 12,000 responses on our August Strategy Survey before I go over the responses with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your feedback is included at our meeting. Will you take one minute to share your thoughts now?

Please click here to take our 60-second survey to let us know your thoughts on the most important ways to protect more children from gun violence in the months ahead.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing and Programs

Donate

Harper,

At Tuesday’s first presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace will ask the candidates about their plans for the next four years. As a mom who misses my beautiful butterfly Dylan every single day, I have a question that I want answered: What will our next president do to prevent gun violence?

But right now, even after hundreds of mass shootings and thousands of precious lives lost to gun violence since the last presidential election, gun violence prevention isn’t one of the “leading issues facing the country” announced as topics for the debate.

I know you''re committed to building a safer world for all of our children, so I hope you''ll help Sandy Hook Promise urge debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask this question at the presidential debate so every voter can hear where the candidates stand. Will you please sign our petition now?

Click here to sign the petition urging debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask the candidates: What will you do to prevent gun violence?

Sign the Petition

I''ve seen the human toll of inaction – it’s precious lives like Dylan’s. With children at risk every moment our elected leaders fail to take action, we need a president who is willing to join the overwhelming number of Americans who support meaningful gun safety reforms and do what it takes to protect our children from gun violence in our schools and communities.

Thank you so much for making sure voters know where our presidential candidates stand on preventing future tragedies.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan’s mom)

Donate

Jacob,

As the digital director at Sandy Hook Promise, a big part of my job is figuring out how we can best use our online resources to protect more children from gun violence. One of the most instrumental tools in our lifesaving work is this community of supporters – including you.

The ways we expand our grassroots efforts to prevent tragedies before they happen are changing constantly, so I''m reaching out to personally ask for your feedback in our brief online focus group.

We need to hear from 7,500 supporters before I go over the results with Mark and Nicole during our video meeting at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your input is included. Will you take just a moment now to share your thoughts?

Please click here to begin our brief focus group and help set our strategy to protect even more children from gun violence. It will only take 1-2 minutes of your time, and your input today truly will make a huge difference in our work.

Begin Focus Group

Thank you for all you do,

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

Donate

My sweet little Daniel always looked forward to the summer, Jacob.

He loved the feeling of warmth against his skin. He’d jump out of the swimming pool, run onto the hot pavement and lie down with his eyes closed – enjoying the sensation and the moment. When everyone else would be complaining about the heat, there would be Daniel, eyes closed, with his tummy pressed against the hot ground.

Summer, like Daniel, was just so innocent. But I’ll never have another summer with my sweet little boy again.

It’s too late to save Daniel, but it’s not too late to save other parents from the horror of losing a child to gun violence. That’s why we need to raise $70,000 before our fiscal year ends tomorrow – to make sure we have the resources we need to prevent the next tragedy before it happens. If we don’t, it could put more children’s lives at risk.

So please, can I count on you to donate as much as you can right now to help us reach our final goal of the fiscal year and protect more children from gun violence?

Please rush $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline tomorrow. Every dollar you give will determine what we can do to protect children from gun violence in the months ahead.

I’d give anything to be spending another summer with Daniel, watching him fish on the dock or play in the backyard. Instead, with your support, I’ll be working each day to expand our gun violence prevention programs that I know save lives.

Doing everything I can to protect children like Daniel from gun violence is how I carry on the legacy my sweet little boy left behind. Thank you for making a gift today so we can continue to do this lifesaving work.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Stranger Things Actress’s Jewelry Line Partners with Sandy Hook Promise

Imagine a world where illegal weapons are transformed into stunning jewelry that supports gun violence prevention programs. It’s not science fiction. It''s reality for social entrepreneur Peter Thum and his partner Cara Buono, who plays Karen Wheeler on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Driven by their passion to free children from gun violence, the two launched a jewelry line, Liberty United, in 2013. Their stylish pieces, including bracelets, necklaces, rings and more, are made from illegal guns that have been destroyed by law enforcement.

All retail profit through October 11 will be donated to Sandy Hook Promise.

There’s only one week left to get your exclusive discount. Please shop now!

Thanks in part to their support, we''ve provided trainings to students in every state in the US! Shop their Sandy Hook Promise collection, get free shipping and get a 10% discount with code: SHP920.

Shop Now

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Students Start With Hello Nationwide

While schools opened with uncertainty, one thing students can always count on is Start With Hello. Thanks to your generosity, this critical program is helping students stay connected despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, social isolation is on the rise. The good news is, your support is helping counter that trend in communities across America.

This year, students got creative with ways to connect with their peers with an outpouring of kindness in social media. Both virtually and in the classroom, thousands of students raised awareness about social isolation and created kinder communities through our Start With Hello celebrations.

Sharing is caring! You can join in by searching #StartWithHello on your social networks. Like and share with your friends to keep the kindness going!

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Your tax-deductible support will help protect more children from gun violence.

Donate

New Programs and Virtual Trainings

To help meet the rapidly changing demands of schools and communities throughout the country, we’ve developed several new programs including a Prevent Suicide course for parents, as well as students and educators. Plus new virtual trainings!

Learn More

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Sandy Hook Promise Partners with Liberty United

Liberty United, whose jewelry sales support preventing gun violence, is donating all retail profits from this promotion to Sandy Hook Promise. Together we can help protect even more children! Learn more about the new partnership, why they support us and what they do.

Learn More

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Start With Hello is Crucial to New School Year

With many students having been isolated for months, Start With Hello programs will be more important than ever this year. Schools nationwide are already planning a variety of fun activities to make sure all students feel included and connected, whether virtually or in-person.

Learn More

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Embracing Diversity in Your School and Community

Lena, a high school student in Florida and member of our National Youth Advisory Board, is our featured guest blogger this month. She writes about celebrating diversity in your own school and community: “SAVE Promise Clubs nationwide are committed to building an inclusive school culture by embracing diversity. This may seem like a large undertaking, but the hardest part is finding where to start.”

Read More

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Election Day is Almost Here – Are You Ready?

We’re only 44 days away from the U.S. Presidential Election on November 3rd, 2020, when we’ll also elect our federal, state, and local representatives. Sandy Hook Promise encourages you to make your voice heard and plan to vote!

Learn More

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Show You Care By What You Wear!

100% of proceeds from our "Back to School" shop benefit our charitable work to protect children and prevent violence.

Shop

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Harper,

This is big.

Sandy Hook Promise’s leading suicide-prevention bill, the STANDUP Act (HR7293/S2492), just passed unanimously through its first congressional committee! It is now heading toward the floor of the House of Representatives. We need your help to keep up the momentum and pass this bill into law.

To prevent all forms of violence and tragedy, we need to address suicide directly. Two-thirds of all gun deaths are suicides, and when it comes to youth, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-34 nationally.

Suicide is preventable when we know the signs.

The STANDUP Act will help certain states expand access to evidence-based suicide prevention education for students and educators, like the programs offered by Sandy Hook Promise. By encouraging more states to adopt these programs, we can save lives and prevent violence across the country.

Contact your representative to ask them to cosponsor the STANDUP Act and help advance the bill for a vote on the House floor.

Send your message

Thanks for taking action!

Liz Murphy

National Policy Director

Donate

Harper,

Last month, we received an incredible 4,300 survey responses from dedicated members of the Sandy Hook Promise community. With reports of gun violence and children in imminent danger on the rise, we’re so grateful to know that people like you are by our side in this urgent and lifesaving mission.

Election Day is just a few short weeks from now, and we need to be ready to ramp up our advocacy efforts and urge new lawmakers to finally take action to protect children from gun violence. That’s why it’s so important for us to get your input on our strategy for the months following the election.

We need at least 10,000 responses to our October Strategy Survey before I go over everyone’s input with Mark and Nicole on Monday – and I really want to make sure we get your thoughts ahead of our meeting. Will you take just 60 seconds to share your feedback now?

Please click here to take our quick survey to help inform our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. Your input couldn’t be more important to all of us at Sandy Hook Promise.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Today is my birthday, Harper – but it''s hard to really celebrate.

My birthday falls 20 days before my sweet little Daniel''s birthday. It''s a painful reminder that while I''m growing older, Daniel never will. He should have started high school last week, but instead, he''ll forever be our 7-year-old baby boy. Our affectionate, smiling, kind, brilliant, energetic, compassionate, shining baby boy.

When I close my eyes, I can remember him hurrying toward me, hand-scribbled card in hand and excitedly saying, "Happy birthday, Daddy!" I can feel him climbing onto my lap, putting his arms around me as James and Natalie join him in singing their best rendition of "Happy Birthday." As I would inhale and lean in toward the candles on the cake, they''d all exclaim, "Make a wish, Daddy, make a wish!"

And at that moment, I would think to myself just as I''d thought a billion times before: I truly am the luckiest man in the world.

I cherish every single moment I had with Daniel. And I ache for his hugs, his smile, his giggle and his kind heart. I wish I could watch him grow and enjoy his life.

So for my birthday this year, I''m asking for donations to Sandy Hook Promise so we can sustain and expand our lifesaving programs to protect more children like Daniel from gun violence.

This mission has become who I am – more than just a part of me, but literally who I am. Even though it''s excruciatingly painful to constantly be reminded of Daniel''s murder, I''ve dedicated my life to honoring him by preventing other families from being shattered by gun violence. But I can''t do that without you. So please, will you donate now to help protect more children from gun violence?

Please donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise now. It''s the only thing I''m asking for my birthday, and it will go so far toward helping us protect more children from gun violence.

I know our efforts to protect children from gun violence are working. Our Know the Signs programs have helped avert multiple school shooting threats. Children are alive today because people like you have generously donated to help us train millions of students and educators how to prevent tragedies. And as we see a rise in reports of children in imminent danger during these difficult times, our efforts are more critical than ever.

I can''t go back and save Daniel, but I know that if we can sustain and expand this work, we can save other children like him. Thank you so much for helping me honor my sweet little boy today, especially on such a difficult day.

Mark Barden (Daniel''s father)

Donate

Harper,

Last month, we received an incredible 4,300 survey responses from dedicated members of the Sandy Hook Promise community. With reports of gun violence and children in imminent danger on the rise, we’re so grateful to know that people like you are by our side in this urgent and lifesaving mission.

Election Day is just a few short weeks from now, and we need to be ready to ramp up our advocacy efforts and urge new lawmakers to finally take action to protect children from gun violence. That’s why it’s so important for us to get your input on our strategy for the months following the election.

We need at least 10,000 responses to our October Strategy Survey before I go over everyone’s input with Mark and Nicole on Monday – and I really want to make sure we get your thoughts ahead of our meeting. Will you take just 60 seconds to share your feedback now?

Please click here to take our quick survey to help inform our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. Your input couldn’t be more important to all of us at Sandy Hook Promise.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Sandy Hook Promise Stands in Solidarity With Victims of Police Violence

The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many unarmed Black and brown people have rocked the nation. Sandy Hook Promise knows that police violence is a form of gun violence. That’s why we’ve signed on to a letter with the Community Justice Action Fund and a number of other gun violence prevention organizations calling for reform and justice. Join us in supporting Black-led organizations working on gun violence prevention, de-escalation and peaceful interventions.

Read our Solidarity Statement

Sandy Hook Promise Presents New Webinar Series

Sandy Hook Promise recently produced a new webinar series for parents, educators and students on suicide prevention during social isolation, safe storage of firearms and youth mental wellness during COVID-19. Our own National Youth Advisory Board member, Amber McCormack, discusses how her SAVE Promise Club has tried to shift the perspective to what they can do now in our latest webinar on youth mental health.

Watch the Webinars

Summer Activity Guide for Social Distancing

Are you looking for ways to help keep the children in your life socially connected during the summer? Check out this great activity guide that is chock-full of great ideas to keep youth busy all summer long.

Download the guide today!

Congratulations to the New 2020-21 National Youth Advisory Board!

The SAVE Promise Club Youth Advisory Board is a group of peacemakers and changemakers representing U.S. states from coast to coast. Find out more about these incredible young leaders, and learn about their commitment to making their communities safer, kinder and more connected.

Meet the YAB!

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Harper, we know we''ve reached out a couple times today, but this is simply too important:

1. With just four hours until our fiscal year ends, we''re still falling short of our fundraising goal. We MUST close that gap.
2. Unless we reach our goal by midnight, we could fail to protect more children from gun violence in the coming year.
3. We cannot bear feeling like we''ve failed other parents who were counting on us to keep their children safe.

We know you care deeply about protecting children from gun violence, which is why we''re reaching out again in this critical moment. Whether we reach this goal will determine how many children we can help protect from gun violence in the next fiscal year. It''s so important that we pulled up your supporter record below, just so you can see where you stand:

EMAIL: @
DONOR STATUS: Hasn''t Donated
SUGGESTED DONATION: $10

Please rush $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight. The resources we can dedicate to saving lives next year depend on what we can raise by our critical deadline in four hours.

Every day, we live with the heartbreaking truth that our loved ones'' murders could have been prevented. It''s a burden that no one else should live with.

That''s why reaching this goal is so important to us – because it means we''ll be able to do more lifesaving work over the next 12 months and spare more parents the unending pain of losing a child to gun violence. And with children facing new challenges that threaten their lives and safety during this difficult time of social distancing, this work is as crucial as ever. Thank you for helping save lives with your generous support today.

Sandy Hook Promise

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Harper, my sweet little Daniel would have turned 15 years old today.

Every year, this day is the toughest reminder that I’m always moving further away from my life with Daniel. The birthdays we’ve spent without him now outnumber the ones we spent with him. It feels almost impossible to bear.

It’s been nearly eight years, and the gulf just keeps getting bigger – and I can’t do anything to change that. That hurts more than I can say.

But for now, on days like today, I try to focus on the sweet little boy who was so affectionate, compassionate and in love with every moment he lived – and I think about the effect he has had on the world.

His kindness and compassion have inspired people like you to help us make sure no other parent has to endure their children’s birthdays without them because of gun violence. So please, would you join our family in honoring Daniel’s memory by signing a special remembrance card today?

Please click here to sign our special card in honor of my sweet little Daniel’s 15th birthday.

Sign the Card

Daniel believed that each day was a gift to be unwrapped and opened with never-ending enthusiasm. He embraced every moment as lovingly and tightly as I wish I could embrace him, even just one more time.

Daniel wanted to make this world a better place, but he was robbed of the chance to live. That’s why I put everything I have into this work – to honor his too-short life by protecting other children like him from gun violence.

Happy birthday, my sweet Daniel. We love you so very much – always.

Mark Barden (Daniel''s father)

Donate

Jacob,

4,980 dedicated members of the Sandy Hook Promise community responded to the survey we sent around last month. As we continue to see more lives lost to gun violence and reports of children in imminent danger during this pandemic, it’s as meaningful as ever to know that so many of you are by our side in this lifesaving work.

Looking toward the new school year, we have a lot of work ahead of us to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence. That’s why it’s critically important for us to get your feedback on what we should prioritize in the coming months.

We need at least 10,000 responses on our July Strategy Survey before I go over everyone’s input with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I really want to make sure your thoughts are included at our meeting. Will you take just 60 seconds to share your feedback now?

Please click here to take our quick survey to help inform our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. You are at the center of our work, so it’s critically important for us to hear your thoughts.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

Donate

Jacob,

Tomorrow is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the beginning of #WearOrange weekend. I invite you to consider a different kind of support for gun violence prevention that we have never spoken about.

The events of the last weeks have rocked us each to our core. And while our efforts at Sandy Hook Promise are focused on protecting children, the behavior changes we’re instilling in them ripple out to benefit us all and will, ultimately, change the world for future generations.

Inclusiveness. Empathy. Compassion. Speaking up and getting help when seeing any form of violence against or victimization of another person.

The most effective way to teach kids is to lead by example. Staying silent on racial injustice and police brutality is not going to protect our kids.

Please take a moment to read our statement and join us, in whatever ways you can, to be a part of the solution to systemic injustice.

#WearOrange this weekend to raise awareness of our nation’s gun violence crisis and the disproportionate impact it has on Black communities – but also do so to help rally community support for the Black- and brown-led front-line organizations working on prevention and peaceful interventions.

Together, we can create the nation we aspire to pass down to our children – a society we have yet to see, but know is possible.

In solidarity,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan’s mom)

 

 

 

Jacob,

Last month, we were so heartened to have 15,231 members of this dedicated community complete the survey we sent about our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. We’ve been looking over everyone’s input, and the insights have been invaluable:

• Nearly everyone – about 91% of survey-takers – believes passing universal background checks is the most important measure for preventing gun violence.
• An incredible 74% of respondents have already signed a petition demanding gun safety reform – and 70% have voted for a candidate who is committed to reducing gun violence.
• 34% of respondents said that Sandy Hook Promise’s advocacy efforts would be the most effective way to convince someone to support our work, while 31% thought our educational programs for students and educators would be most effective.

As we look to the months ahead, there is still so much more we need to do to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence – especially as new and urgent challenges continue to arise during this pandemic. That’s why it’s as important as ever to hear from you about what we should prioritize right now.

We need at least 12,000 responses on our August Strategy Survey before I go over the responses with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your feedback is included at our meeting. Will you take one minute to share your thoughts now?

Please click here to take our 60-second survey to let us know your thoughts on the most important ways to protect more children from gun violence in the months ahead.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing and Programs

Donate

Jacob, my sweet little Daniel would have turned 15 years old today.

Every year, this day is the toughest reminder that I’m always moving further away from my life with Daniel. The birthdays we’ve spent without him now outnumber the ones we spent with him. It feels almost impossible to bear.

It’s been nearly eight years, and the gulf just keeps getting bigger – and I can’t do anything to change that. That hurts more than I can say.

But for now, on days like today, I try to focus on the sweet little boy who was so affectionate, compassionate and in love with every moment he lived – and I think about the effect he has had on the world.

His kindness and compassion have inspired people like you to help us make sure no other parent has to endure their children’s birthdays without them because of gun violence. So please, would you join our family in honoring Daniel’s memory by signing a special remembrance card today?

Please click here to sign our special card in honor of my sweet little Daniel’s 15th birthday.

Sign the Card

Daniel believed that each day was a gift to be unwrapped and opened with never-ending enthusiasm. He embraced every moment as lovingly and tightly as I wish I could embrace him, even just one more time.

Daniel wanted to make this world a better place, but he was robbed of the chance to live. That’s why I put everything I have into this work – to honor his too-short life by protecting other children like him from gun violence.

Happy birthday, my sweet Daniel. We love you so very much – always.

Mark Barden (Daniel''s father)

Donate

Jacob,

Before the first presidential debate, an incredible 30,000 people signed our petition demanding debate moderator Chris Wallace ask the candidates: What will you do to prevent gun violence as our next president?

And yet, the issue was ignored, and the question was never asked.

Since the last presidential election, there have been hundreds of mass shootings and thousands of precious lives senselessly lost to gun violence. Children’s lives are on the line, so it couldn’t be more important for every voter to hear where the candidates stand on preventing these tragedies.

That’s why we’re doubling our efforts to make sure the next moderator, Kristen Welker, asks this critical question at the final presidential debate on Thursday. I know how much you care about protecting children from gun violence, so I hope you’ll help Sandy Hook Promise get the answers that voters deserve on the topic of gun violence prevention. Will you sign our petition now?

Click here to sign the petition urging debate moderator Kristen Welker to ask the candidates at the final presidential debate: What will you do to prevent gun violence?

Sign the Petition

Every signature helps ensure voters get the chance to hear where our presidential candidates stand on preventing future tragedies. Thank you so much for adding your name today.

Aimee Thunberg
Communications Director

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Harper, my sweet little Daniel would have turned 15 years old today.

Every year, this day is the toughest reminder that I’m always moving further away from my life with Daniel. The birthdays we’ve spent without him now outnumber the ones we spent with him. It feels almost impossible to bear.

It’s been nearly eight years, and the gulf just keeps getting bigger – and I can’t do anything to change that. That hurts more than I can say.

But for now, on days like today, I try to focus on the sweet little boy who was so affectionate, compassionate and in love with every moment he lived – and I think about the effect he has had on the world.

His kindness and compassion have inspired people like you to help us make sure no other parent has to endure their children’s birthdays without them because of gun violence. So please, would you join our family in honoring Daniel’s memory by signing a special remembrance card today?

Please click here to sign our special card in honor of my sweet little Daniel’s 15th birthday.

Sign the Card

Daniel believed that each day was a gift to be unwrapped and opened with never-ending enthusiasm. He embraced every moment as lovingly and tightly as I wish I could embrace him, even just one more time.

Daniel wanted to make this world a better place, but he was robbed of the chance to live. That’s why I put everything I have into this work – to honor his too-short life by protecting other children like him from gun violence.

Happy birthday, my sweet Daniel. We love you so very much – always.

Mark Barden (Daniel''s father)

Donate

Hello Harper,

Today is the start of National Safe Schools Week! Thousands of schools and youth organizations from across the country are leading activities like these to help make schools safer and more secure.

SAVE Promise Club members have already been busy creating fun activities to celebrate the week, whether students are learning virtually or in-person.

High schoolers are meeting up virtually on National SAVE Day on Wed., Oct. 21 for the Youth-to-Youth Community Conversation. It’s a brave space hosted by our National Youth Advisory Board where classmates can share their ideas for creating safer schools. Please pass this information along to any high schoolers that you know, as all are invited to join in this conversation.

Some students will be starting off the week by reminding their classmates of the three Say Something steps on posters and in social media. Others will “Tailgate for a Cause,” placing stars for each of the lives lost to gun violence in their communities on football fields, large parking lots, or virtually via video conferencing.

This week, we are also thrilled to announce our continued partnership with DICK''s Sporting Goods, which will continue to fund the Know the Signs programs and SAVE Promise Clubs that are saving lives and keeping schools safe.

It’s generosity like this and from people like you that creates activities and programs that reach into 14,000+ schools nationwide to make every week a “Safe Schools” week.

We couldn’t be more grateful,
Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden
Co-Founders and Managing Directors

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Your tax-deductible support will help protect more children from gun violence.

Donate

Hello Jacob,

Today is the start of National Safe Schools Week! Thousands of schools and youth organizations from across the country are leading activities like these to help make schools safer and more secure.

SAVE Promise Club members have already been busy creating fun activities to celebrate the week, whether students are learning virtually or in-person.

High schoolers are meeting up virtually on National SAVE Day on Wed., Oct. 21 for the Youth-to-Youth Community Conversation. It’s a brave space hosted by our National Youth Advisory Board where classmates can share their ideas for creating safer schools. Please pass this information along to any high schoolers that you know, as all are invited to join in this conversation.

Some students will be starting off the week by reminding their classmates of the three Say Something steps on posters and in social media. Others will “Tailgate for a Cause,” placing stars for each of the lives lost to gun violence in their communities on football fields, large parking lots, or virtually via video conferencing.

This week, we are also thrilled to announce our continued partnership with DICK''s Sporting Goods, which will continue to fund the Know the Signs programs and SAVE Promise Clubs that are saving lives and keeping schools safe.

It’s generosity like this and from people like you that creates activities and programs that reach into 14,000+ schools nationwide to make every week a “Safe Schools” week.

We couldn’t be more grateful,
Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden
Co-Founders and Managing Directors

---

Your tax-deductible support will help protect more children from gun violence.

Donate

Jacob,

When a parent loses a child to gun violence, every day without them is difficult – but birthdays are some of the hardest. They are painful reminders that while you get older, your child never will.

That’s why, with Mark Barden’s birthday coming up on Monday, we want to make sure he knows that this community is sending all of our love and support his way – and making a promise to keep taking action in his son Daniel’s honor.

We hope you’ll join us by signing our card to let Mark know that our hearts are with him as he spends yet another birthday without Daniel – and that we’re committed to doing everything we can to prevent other parents like him from losing a child to gun violence. Will you sign Mark’s birthday card now?

Please sign Sandy Hook Promise’s card to send your love and support to Mark Barden on his birthday – and a promise to never stop working to protect other children like Daniel from gun violence.

Sign the Card

Thank you so much for helping us wrap Mark in love and comfort on difficult days like these. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support, and all you do to help us protect children from gun violence.

Sandy Hook Promise

Donate

Harper,

We know we''ve emailed a couple times already about our fiscal year-end deadline, but there are two big reasons why:

1) We know you care deeply about protecting children from gun violence and 2) unless we close our fundraising gap by midnight, we might not be able to work fast enough to prevent the next tragedy.

We can''t bear to see more families torn apart by gun violence, so we cannot miss tonight''s goal. With time running out before our fiscal year ends, will you donate now to help protect more children from gun violence?

Please rush $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight. We can''t bear to miss this critical goal and put children''s lives at risk.

Working to prevent other families from experiencing the never-ending pain of losing a child to gun violence is the only way we know to honor our loved ones. That''s why it''s so crucial that we end our fiscal year strong: We need to know that we have what it will take to expand our lifesaving work in the year ahead – especially with more children in imminent danger during this difficult time of social distancing.

As long as gun violence continues to put children''s lives at risk, we''ll keep doing everything in our power to protect them and prevent tragedies before they happen. Thank you for your support – we couldn''t do it without you.

Sandy Hook Promise

Donate

Harper,

Last month, we were so heartened to have 15,231 members of this dedicated community complete the survey we sent about our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. We’ve been looking over everyone’s input, and the insights have been invaluable:

• Nearly everyone – about 91% of survey-takers – believes passing universal background checks is the most important measure for preventing gun violence.
• An incredible 74% of respondents have already signed a petition demanding gun safety reform – and 70% have voted for a candidate who is committed to reducing gun violence.
• 34% of respondents said that Sandy Hook Promise’s advocacy efforts would be the most effective way to convince someone to support our work, while 31% thought our educational programs for students and educators would be most effective.

As we look to the months ahead, there is still so much more we need to do to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence – especially as new and urgent challenges continue to arise during this pandemic. That’s why it’s as important as ever to hear from you about what we should prioritize right now.

We need at least 12,000 responses on our August Strategy Survey before I go over the responses with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your feedback is included at our meeting. Will you take one minute to share your thoughts now?

Please click here to take our 60-second survey to let us know your thoughts on the most important ways to protect more children from gun violence in the months ahead.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing and Programs

Donate

Jacob,

The shooter who murdered my sweet little Daniel took ten 30-round gun magazines with him into Sandy Hook Elementary. He deliberately left the smaller magazines at home.

It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators. In the blink of an eye, Daniel was gone forever.

But as the shooter paused to reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. It’s hard not to wonder if Daniel might still be here had only smaller magazines been available that day.

It’s too late to save my kindhearted boy, but it’s not too late to save another parent’s child. That’s why I need your urgent help. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – but lawmakers have refused to vote on it.

We cannot allow Congress to continue putting children’s lives at risk: That’s why it’s critical that we collect 30,000 petition signatures demanding lawmakers finally pass this legislation before more lives are senselessly lost. Will you please sign our petition now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress immediately make high-capacity gun magazines illegal. This is commonsense legislation that will help protect more children like my sweet little Daniel from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

We cannot accept another day of inaction from Congress on gun safety reform. That’s why I’m counting on your help to demand lawmakers finally take action to prevent other parents from losing a child to gun violence.

I can’t thank you enough for stepping up today – and for all that you do to help me honor Daniel’s too-short life. Your support is how we’ll continue to make meaningful change that will save lives.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Jacob,

The shooter who murdered my beautiful butterfly Dylan took ten 30-round gun magazines into Sandy Hook Elementary. It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators.

In an instant, my baby boy was gone forever.

In the time it took the shooter to pause and reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. I can’t help but think about how, if those magazines were limited to just a fraction of the rounds, Dylan might still be alive today.

That''s why I need your help right now. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – and Congress has refused to even vote on it.

I know there’s a lot going on right now, but we can’t wait until after the election or the next school shooting to demand action. Children’s lives are at risk every day Congress fails to pass this legislation. So please, will you sign our petition to help us reach 30,000 signatures this week, demanding Congress finally act before more lives are senselessly lost?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress make high-capacity gun ammunition magazines illegal. We can’t let up our pressure if we’re going to pass this commonsense legislation that will help protect more children, like my baby boy, from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Dylan continues to be a light in my life, and I will spend the rest of my days building a legacy for him that ensures his light continues to shine. By helping me in this work to protect children like him from gun violence, you''re making that legacy possible.

Thank you so much – it truly means the world to me.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Harper,

As the digital director at Sandy Hook Promise, a big part of my job is figuring out how we can best use our online resources to protect more children from gun violence. One of the most instrumental tools in our lifesaving work is this community of supporters – including you.

The ways we expand our grassroots efforts to prevent tragedies before they happen are changing constantly, so I''m reaching out to personally ask for your feedback in our brief online focus group.

We need to hear from 7,500 supporters before I go over the results with Mark and Nicole during our video meeting at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your input is included. Will you take just a moment now to share your thoughts?

Please click here to begin our brief focus group and help set our strategy to protect even more children from gun violence. It will only take 1-2 minutes of your time, and your input today truly will make a huge difference in our work.

Begin Focus Group

Thank you for all you do,

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

Donate

Harper,

The shooter who murdered my beautiful butterfly Dylan took ten 30-round gun magazines into Sandy Hook Elementary. It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators.

In an instant, my baby boy was gone forever.

In the time it took the shooter to pause and reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. I can’t help but think about how, if those magazines were limited to just a fraction of the rounds, Dylan might still be alive today.

That''s why I need your help right now. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – but Congress has refused to even vote on it.

I know there are a lot of other priorities at the moment, but more children’s lives are at risk every day that Congress fails to pass this legislation. That’s why it’s critical that we collect 25,000 petition signatures demanding that Congress finally act before more lives are senselessly lost. Will you please sign our petition now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress immediately make high-capacity gun ammunition magazines illegal. This is commonsense legislation that will help protect more children, like my baby boy, from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Dylan continues to be a light in my life, and I will spend the rest of my days building a legacy for him that ensures his light continues to shine. By helping me in this work to protect children like him from gun violence, you''re making that legacy possible.

Thank you so much – it truly means the world to me.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Harper,

Every day without my sweet little Daniel is hard – but days like Father’s Day are the hardest.

Daniel’s absence – his empty chair at the kitchen table – is just that much more evident.

In the first few years after Daniel was murdered, days like tomorrow all melted together. It was a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process of managing my grief and trying not to let it consume me – all while trying to be the best dad I could be to my surviving children, James and Natalie.

I can’t tell anyone else how to navigate a Father’s Day without their child – especially those who are separated from their loved ones during this difficult time of social distancing. All I can say to them is that I’m so sorry. They just have to get through it the best they can and connect with those who love them however possible.

That’s why this year, it’s so important to me that fathers whose children were murdered like Daniel know that I''m sending my love and support their way – along with a promise that I’m trying my best to prevent it from happening to another family. Harper, it would mean so much if you’d join me in sending that message of support by tomorrow. Will you please sign our Father’s Day card now?

Please click here to sign Sandy Hook Promise’s Father’s Day card to send your support and promise for action to all the fathers whose children have been killed by gun violence.

Sign the Card

Life without my sweet little Daniel will never get easier, but every memory I have of him burns bright in my heart and mind. Daniel was a light that can never be dimmed, and I put all my energy into this work to honor his too-short life.

I owe it to him and to other families to prevent more tragedies from happening so other dads won’t have to reckon with a Father’s Day without their child because of gun violence. That’s why I’m so grateful for your support – it means so much, especially on Father''s Day.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Harper,

You did it!

After weeks of hard work, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass HR7293, the STANDUP Act of 2020, to help prevent youth suicide! As suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people, prevention couldn’t be more important to Sandy Hook Promise’s mission to protect children.

It’s taken almost a year and a half to get here, and we could not have done this without you. Your phone calls, emails and personal outreach to your elected officials made this possible. Congratulations on this huge victory!

But we’re not done yet. Now it’s the Senate’s turn. Please reach out and let your Senators know that you want them to take a vote on the STANDUP Act before they leave town on Oct. 9! Click here to send your note.

Send your message

Together, we can get this bill signed into law.

Thanks for your continued hard work to prevent youth violence.

Liz Murphy
National Policy Director

Donate

Jacob,

As the digital director at Sandy Hook Promise, a big part of my job is figuring out how we can best use our online resources to protect more children from gun violence. One of the most instrumental tools in our lifesaving work is this community of supporters – including you.

The ways we expand our grassroots efforts to prevent tragedies before they happen are changing constantly, so I''m reaching out to personally ask for your feedback in our brief online focus group.

We need to hear from 7,500 supporters before I go over the results with Mark and Nicole during our video meeting at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your input is included. Will you take just a moment now to share your thoughts?

Please click here to begin our brief focus group and help set our strategy to protect even more children from gun violence. It will only take 1-2 minutes of your time, and your input today truly will make a huge difference in our work.

Begin Focus Group

Thank you for all you do,

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

Donate

Our hearts are broken yet again, Harper.

More than 160 people were killed and 500 more injured by gun violence over the July Fourth holiday, including a 7-year-old girl in Chicago playing in her yard, an 8-year-old boy in Alabama walking through a mall and an 8-year-old girl in Atlanta sitting in her mom’s car. The toll of this loss on our country and the disproportionate toll on Black families is heartbreaking.

It’s another gut-wrenching reminder that we must keep pushing for gun safety reform – there are precious lives on the line if we don’t move quickly enough to prevent the next tragedy.

But our leaders still do nothing. It’s been almost a year and a half since the House passed universal background checks legislation that could have prevented shootings like the ones that took place across the country last week – but the Senate refuses to even vote on it.

Every day the Senate fails to act puts more children''s lives at risk, so we cannot stand by silently. We need another 30,000 petition signatures to keep the pressure on senators to finally pass this critical bill, but we''re falling short of our goal. Will you sign the petition now to demand a vote on universal background checks?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding the Senate pass universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who are at risk of hurting themselves or others and protect children from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Thank you so much for speaking out to demand action and make lifesaving change. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Harper,

It’s been nearly three months since schools across the country closed to curb the spread of COVID-19, and there has been an alarming increase in tips to the national crisis center of our Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.

Since the shelter-at-home orders began, the percentage of life-safety tips – where at least one life is in imminent danger – has nearly doubled.

Reports of abuse, suicidal ideation, depression, cyberbullying and self-harm are also accelerating, which is why our work to protect children from gun violence has not – and cannot – let up. That’s also why it’s so crucial to hear from you right now.

Before my video meeting with Mark and Nicole next week to discuss our most urgent priorities, we need to hear from 12,000 more supporters like you – starting with this question:

Are you concerned about the increase in reports of children in imminent danger?

Yes No

Thank you so much for being part of our lifesaving work at a time when we need you more than ever.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing & Programs

Donate

Hi Harper,

If you’re like me, you’re wondering just how much pressure our students can take during the COVID-19 upheaval in their lives. Youth suicide is becoming a public health crisis. And, as with other forms of violence and self-harm, there are warning signs. This means suicide is preventable.

Today, Sandy Hook Promise is launching Say Something: Prevent Suicide, a new training that expands on core Say Something program to:

• teach the warning signs and risk factors specific to suicide
• provide expert guidance on what to do when seeing someone at risk of harming themselves

The training video takes 20 minutes to complete and includes resources for students, parents, and educators. And it can be done remotely for adults (due to the sensitive nature of the content, a school-based setting is required for student training video).

To access Say Something: Prevent Suicide, go to Sandy Hook Promise’s Learning Center and register. Registering is free and will take less than a minute. I hope you’ll check it out and share with others who care about keeping kids safe.

Grateful for your support,

Nicole
Co-Founder and Managing Director

P.S.

To better understand the scope of the issue surrounding mental health and suicide, watch our webinar: Suicide Prevention During COVID-19 Social Isolation

Harper,

Last month, we were so heartened to have 15,231 members of this dedicated community complete the survey we sent about our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. We’ve been looking over everyone’s input, and the insights have been invaluable:

• Nearly everyone – about 91% of survey-takers – believes passing universal background checks is the most important measure for preventing gun violence.
• An incredible 74% of respondents have already signed a petition demanding gun safety reform – and 70% have voted for a candidate who is committed to reducing gun violence.
• 34% of respondents said that Sandy Hook Promise’s advocacy efforts would be the most effective way to convince someone to support our work, while 31% thought our educational programs for students and educators would be most effective.

As we look to the months ahead, there is still so much more we need to do to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence – especially as new and urgent challenges continue to arise during this pandemic. That’s why it’s as important as ever to hear from you about what we should prioritize right now.

We need at least 12,000 responses on our August Strategy Survey before I go over the responses with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I want to make sure your feedback is included at our meeting. Will you take one minute to share your thoughts now?

Please click here to take our 60-second survey to let us know your thoughts on the most important ways to protect more children from gun violence in the months ahead.

Take the Survey

Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing and Programs

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Jacob,

It’s been nearly three months since schools across the country closed to curb the spread of COVID-19, and there has been an alarming increase in tips to the national crisis center of our Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.

Since the shelter-at-home orders began, the percentage of life-safety tips – where at least one life is in imminent danger – has nearly doubled.

Reports of abuse, suicidal ideation, depression, cyberbullying and self-harm are also accelerating, which is why our work to protect children from gun violence has not – and cannot – let up. That’s also why it’s so crucial to hear from you right now.

Before my video meeting with Mark and Nicole next week to discuss our most urgent priorities, we need to hear from 12,000 more supporters like you – starting with this question:

Are you concerned about the increase in reports of children in imminent danger?

Yes No

Thank you so much for being part of our lifesaving work at a time when we need you more than ever.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing & Programs

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Jacob,

The shooter who murdered my sweet little Daniel took ten 30-round gun magazines with him into Sandy Hook Elementary. He deliberately left the smaller magazines at home.

It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators. In the blink of an eye, Daniel was gone forever.

But as the shooter paused to reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. It’s hard not to wonder if Daniel might still be here had only smaller magazines been available that day.

It’s too late to save my kindhearted boy, but it’s not too late to save another parent’s child. That’s why I need your urgent help. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – but lawmakers have refused to vote on it.

We cannot allow Congress to continue putting children’s lives at risk: That’s why it’s critical that we collect 30,000 petition signatures demanding lawmakers finally pass this legislation before more lives are senselessly lost. Will you please sign our petition now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress immediately make high-capacity gun magazines illegal. This is commonsense legislation that will help protect more children like my sweet little Daniel from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

We cannot accept another day of inaction from Congress on gun safety reform. That’s why I’m counting on your help to demand lawmakers finally take action to prevent other parents from losing a child to gun violence.

I can’t thank you enough for stepping up today – and for all that you do to help me honor Daniel’s too-short life. Your support is how we’ll continue to make meaningful change that will save lives.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Harper,

It’s been nearly three months since schools across the country closed to curb the spread of COVID-19, and there has been an alarming increase in tips to the national crisis center of our Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.

Since the shelter-at-home orders began, the percentage of life-safety tips – where at least one life is in imminent danger – has nearly doubled.

Reports of abuse, suicidal ideation, depression, cyberbullying and self-harm are also accelerating, which is why our work to protect children from gun violence has not – and cannot – let up. That’s also why it’s so crucial to hear from you right now.

Before my video meeting with Mark and Nicole next week to discuss our most urgent priorities, we need to hear from 12,000 more supporters like you – starting with this question:

Are you concerned about the increase in reports of children in imminent danger?

Yes No

Thank you so much for being part of our lifesaving work at a time when we need you more than ever.

Dawn Lyons
Vice President, Marketing & Programs

Donate

Jacob,

When the Senate failed to pass background check legislation after my sweet little Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, it absolutely crushed me – but I refused to give up.

More than seven years later, I still haven’t given up – and I won’t stand by and let Congress give up, either. The House has already passed a universal background checks bill, but the Senate has spent well over a year flat-out refusing to vote on it. Their continued inaction is absolutely despicable.

Now that senators are finally back from vacation, we know there’s no shortage of crucial issues for them to focus on. But we can’t afford to let them drag their feet on this lifesaving bill any longer – not when children’s lives are at risk every day they don’t act.

That’s why we’re gathering 30,000 signatures this week to demand the Senate finally vote on this critical legislation. We’re running out of time, so will you please sign our petition right now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding the Senate pass universal background checks legislation immediately to prevent gun violence and save precious lives.

Sign the Petition

I can never get Daniel back. All I can do is work every single day to give him a legacy beyond his too-short life and prevent other parents from experiencing the horror of losing a child to gun violence. I could never thank you enough for all you do to make that possible.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Jacob,

At Tuesday''s first presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace will ask the candidates about their plans for the next four years. As a mom who misses my beautiful butterfly Dylan every single day, I have a question that I want answered: What will our next president do to prevent gun violence?

But right now, even after hundreds of mass shootings and thousands of precious lives lost to gun violence since the last presidential election, gun violence prevention isn''t one of the "leading issues facing the country" announced as topics for the debate.

I know you''re committed to building a safer world for all of our children, so I hope you''ll help Sandy Hook Promise urge debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask this question at the presidential debate so every voter can hear where the candidates stand. Will you please sign our petition now?

Click here to sign the petition urging debate moderator Chris Wallace to ask the candidates: What will you do to prevent gun violence?

Sign the Petition

I''ve seen the human toll of inaction – it''s precious lives like Dylan''s. With children at risk every moment our elected leaders fail to take action, we need a president who is willing to join the overwhelming number of Americans who support meaningful gun safety reforms and do what it takes to protect our children from gun violence in our schools and communities.

Thank you so much for making sure voters know where our presidential candidates stand on preventing future tragedies.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Our hearts are broken yet again, Harper.

More than 160 people were killed and 500 more injured by gun violence over the July Fourth holiday, including a 7-year-old girl in Chicago playing in her yard, an 8-year-old boy in Alabama walking through a mall and an 8-year-old girl in Atlanta sitting in her mom’s car. The toll of this loss on our country and the disproportionate toll on Black families is heartbreaking.

It’s another gut-wrenching reminder that we must keep pushing for gun safety reform – there are precious lives on the line if we don’t move quickly enough to prevent the next tragedy.

But our leaders still do nothing. It’s been almost a year and a half since the House passed universal background checks legislation that could have prevented shootings like the ones that took place across the country last week – but the Senate refuses to even vote on it.

Every day the Senate fails to act puts more children''s lives at risk, so we cannot stand by silently. We need another 30,000 petition signatures to keep the pressure on senators to finally pass this critical bill, but we''re falling short of our goal. Will you sign the petition now to demand a vote on universal background checks?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding the Senate pass universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who are at risk of hurting themselves or others and protect children from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Thank you so much for speaking out to demand action and make lifesaving change. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Jacob,

This is big.

Sandy Hook Promise’s leading suicide-prevention bill, the STANDUP Act (HR7293/S2492), just passed unanimously through its first congressional committee! It is now heading toward the floor of the House of Representatives. We need your help to keep up the momentum and pass this bill into law.

To prevent all forms of violence and tragedy, we need to address suicide directly. Two-thirds of all gun deaths are suicides, and when it comes to youth, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-34 nationally.

Suicide is preventable when we know the signs.

The STANDUP Act will help certain states expand access to evidence-based suicide prevention education for students and educators, like the programs offered by Sandy Hook Promise. By encouraging more states to adopt these programs, we can save lives and prevent violence across the country.

Contact your representative to ask them to cosponsor the STANDUP Act and help advance the bill for a vote on the House floor.

Send your message

Thanks for taking action!

Liz Murphy

National Policy Director

Donate

Sandy Hook Promise Stands in Solidarity With Victims of Police Violence

The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many unarmed Black and brown people have rocked the nation. Sandy Hook Promise knows that police violence is a form of gun violence. That’s why we’ve signed on to a letter with the Community Justice Action Fund and a number of other gun violence prevention organizations calling for reform and justice. Join us in supporting Black-led organizations working on gun violence prevention, de-escalation and peaceful interventions.

Read our Solidarity Statement

Sandy Hook Promise Presents New Webinar Series

Sandy Hook Promise recently produced a new webinar series for parents, educators and students on suicide prevention during social isolation, safe storage of firearms and youth mental wellness during COVID-19. Our own National Youth Advisory Board member, Amber McCormack, discusses how her SAVE Promise Club has tried to shift the perspective to what they can do now in our latest webinar on youth mental health.

Watch the Webinars

Summer Activity Guide for Social Distancing

Are you looking for ways to help keep the children in your life socially connected during the summer? Check out this great activity guide that is chock-full of great ideas to keep youth busy all summer long.

Download the guide today!

Congratulations to the New 2020-21 National Youth Advisory Board!

The SAVE Promise Club Youth Advisory Board is a group of peacemakers and changemakers representing U.S. states from coast to coast. Find out more about these incredible young leaders, and learn about their commitment to making their communities safer, kinder and more connected.

Meet the YAB!

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Harper,

For my wife Mary, the start of summer was always a little bittersweet.

On one hand, it meant spending more time with our family, enjoying hours in her garden and reading on the porch. On the other, it meant saying goodbye to the students at Sandy Hook Elementary, where she was the school psychologist.

She loved her job so much – she would do anything for her students. That''s why she didn''t think twice about running toward the sound of gunfire on Dec. 14, 2012. She gave her life to protect those kids.

Nothing can bring Mary back. And while summer is another painful reminder that she isn''t with us, I can still honor her by dedicating my life to protecting children from gun violence.

Please join me in working to prevent the next tragedy. We''re still falling short of our $70,000 fiscal year-end fundraising goal, so I''m personally asking you: Will you donate right now to help us reach our final goal of the fiscal year and protect more children from gun violence?

Please donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight tomorrow. Every dollar you give will go directly toward our work to prevent the next tragedy and protect more children from gun violence next year.

I still miss Mary each and every day – especially during the summer, when we''d slow down, relax by the lake and make plans for our future. That future was taken from us – but I like to think Mary is proud of how we''re carrying on her legacy by coming together to do what she cared about most: helping and protecting children.

Your support of this work helps us do that, and it means more than I could ever express. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Bill Sherlach

Donate

Today is my birthday, Jacob – but it''s hard to really celebrate.

My birthday falls 20 days before my sweet little Daniel''s birthday. It''s a painful reminder that while I''m growing older, Daniel never will. He should have started high school last week, but instead, he''ll forever be our 7-year-old baby boy. Our affectionate, smiling, kind, brilliant, energetic, compassionate, shining baby boy.

When I close my eyes, I can remember him hurrying toward me, hand-scribbled card in hand and excitedly saying, "Happy birthday, Daddy!" I can feel him climbing onto my lap, putting his arms around me as James and Natalie join him in singing their best rendition of "Happy Birthday." As I would inhale and lean in toward the candles on the cake, they''d all exclaim, "Make a wish, Daddy, make a wish!"

And at that moment, I would think to myself just as I''d thought a billion times before: I truly am the luckiest man in the world.

I cherish every single moment I had with Daniel. And I ache for his hugs, his smile, his giggle and his kind heart. I wish I could watch him grow and enjoy his life.

So for my birthday this year, I''m asking for donations to Sandy Hook Promise so we can sustain and expand our lifesaving programs to protect more children like Daniel from gun violence.

This mission has become who I am – more than just a part of me, but literally who I am. Even though it''s excruciatingly painful to constantly be reminded of Daniel''s murder, I''ve dedicated my life to honoring him by preventing other families from being shattered by gun violence. But I can''t do that without you. So please, will you donate now to help protect more children from gun violence?

Please donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise now. It''s the only thing I''m asking for my birthday, and it will go so far toward helping us protect more children from gun violence.

I know our efforts to protect children from gun violence are working. Our Know the Signs programs have helped avert multiple school shooting threats. Children are alive today because people like you have generously donated to help us train millions of students and educators how to prevent tragedies. And as we see a rise in reports of children in imminent danger during these difficult times, our efforts are more critical than ever.

I can''t go back and save Daniel, but I know that if we can sustain and expand this work, we can save other children like him. Thank you so much for helping me honor my sweet little boy today, especially on such a difficult day.

Mark Barden (Daniel''s father)

Donate

Harper,

Before the first presidential debate, an incredible 30,000 people signed our petition demanding debate moderator Chris Wallace ask the candidates: What will you do to prevent gun violence as our next president?

And yet, the issue was ignored, and the question was never asked.

Since the last presidential election, there have been hundreds of mass shootings and thousands of precious lives senselessly lost to gun violence. Children’s lives are on the line, so it couldn’t be more important for every voter to hear where the candidates stand on preventing these tragedies.

That’s why we’re doubling our efforts to make sure the next moderator, Kristen Welker, asks this critical question at the final presidential debate on Thursday. I know how much you care about protecting children from gun violence, so I hope you’ll help Sandy Hook Promise get the answers that voters deserve on the topic of gun violence prevention. Will you sign our petition now?

Click here to sign the petition urging debate moderator Kristen Welker to ask the candidates at the final presidential debate: What will you do to prevent gun violence?

Sign the Petition

Every signature helps ensure voters get the chance to hear where our presidential candidates stand on preventing future tragedies. Thank you so much for adding your name today.

Aimee Thunberg
Communications Director

Donate

Jacob,

When I think about the work we’ve accomplished over these past seven-and-a-half years, I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done to help us keep our Promise to protect children from gun violence. We couldn’t make meaningful change without supporters like you – and that’s why it’s so important to get your feedback on our work:

Please, can you take a moment right now to tell us which areas of Sandy Hook Promise’s work interest you the most?

Take the Survey

Honoring my beautiful butterfly Dylan is truly my reason for being. And thanks to parents, supporters and friends like you who care about preventing gun violence, Sandy Hook Promise has made incredible progress in saving lives and building a safer world for all our children.

Nearly 5.3 million supporters have made the Promise to protect children from gun violence – but we still have a lot of work ahead. With everything going on in the world right now, we’re seeing a surge of gun violence reports across the country. That’s why we''re pushing as hard as ever to expand our lifesaving Know the Signs programs to more schools across the country and advocate for more gun safety reforms.

Even if you''ve taken a survey in the past, it''s critically important to hear from you again. We read and analyze the responses every single time, and I truly appreciate all of your feedback and ideas as we rapidly grow our work to protect more children from gun violence.

Will you take a moment to answer our survey by next week? We''ll randomly choose 30 participants and send them a free Sandy Hook Promise gift set with a T-shirt, car magnet, wristband and pin as a thank-you.

Please click here and take our short survey now to tell us which parts of our work are most important to you.

Thank you for taking a moment to share your input – it''s so helpful as we plan for the work ahead.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Jacob,

Every day without my sweet little Daniel is hard – but days like Father’s Day are the hardest.

Daniel’s absence – his empty chair at the kitchen table – is just that much more evident.

In the first few years after Daniel was murdered, days like tomorrow all melted together. It was a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process of managing my grief and trying not to let it consume me – all while trying to be the best dad I could be to my surviving children, James and Natalie.

I can’t tell anyone else how to navigate a Father’s Day without their child – especially those who are separated from their loved ones during this difficult time of social distancing. All I can say to them is that I’m so sorry. They just have to get through it the best they can and connect with those who love them however possible.

That’s why this year, it’s so important to me that fathers whose children were murdered like Daniel know that I''m sending my love and support their way – along with a promise that I’m trying my best to prevent it from happening to another family. Jacob, it would mean so much if you’d join me in sending that message of support by tomorrow. Will you please sign our Father’s Day card now?

Please click here to sign Sandy Hook Promise’s Father’s Day card to send your support and promise for action to all the fathers whose children have been killed by gun violence.

Sign the Card

Life without my sweet little Daniel will never get easier, but every memory I have of him burns bright in my heart and mind. Daniel was a light that can never be dimmed, and I put all my energy into this work to honor his too-short life.

I owe it to him and to other families to prevent more tragedies from happening so other dads won’t have to reckon with a Father’s Day without their child because of gun violence. That’s why I’m so grateful for your support – it means so much, especially on Father''s Day.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Jacob,

Yesterday marked one year since 23 people were senselessly murdered at a shopping center in El Paso, Texas. And this morning marked one year since nine people were murdered in downtown Dayton, Ohio, less than 13 hours after the tragedy in El Paso.

I know all too well that losing a loved one to gun violence never gets easier. Certain moments and milestones leave you absolutely breathless, and my heart breaks for every single one of the families now reliving the day they got the agonizing news that their loved one was never coming home.

That’s why today, I hope you’ll join me in sending love and comfort to all those affected by these shootings – as well as a promise to never stop taking action to protect other communities from gun violence.

Please click here to sign our remembrance card for those killed in the El Paso and Dayton shootings last year – and to make a promise to their families that we will keep doing everything we can to prevent future tragedies.

Sign the Card

Last year, when I heard about the shootings, I couldn’t help but feel angry and defeated – like I’d failed these families. But feeling hopeless won’t honor my sweet little Daniel or the 32 people who were murdered in El Paso and Dayton.

That’s why on difficult days like today, it’s so important that we come together to share our love and support for these families, and to renew our commitment to preventing gun violence. Thank you for all you do to help us save lives.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Harper,

Before the first presidential debate, an incredible 30,000 people signed our petition demanding debate moderator Chris Wallace ask the candidates: What will you do to prevent gun violence as our next president?

And yet, the issue was ignored, and the question was never asked.

Since the last presidential election, there have been hundreds of mass shootings and thousands of precious lives senselessly lost to gun violence. Children’s lives are on the line, so it couldn’t be more important for every voter to hear where the candidates stand on preventing these tragedies.

That’s why we’re doubling our efforts to make sure the next moderator, Kristen Welker, asks this critical question at the final presidential debate on Thursday. I know how much you care about protecting children from gun violence, so I hope you’ll help Sandy Hook Promise get the answers that voters deserve on the topic of gun violence prevention. Will you sign our petition now?

Click here to sign the petition urging debate moderator Kristen Welker to ask the candidates at the final presidential debate: What will you do to prevent gun violence?

Sign the Petition

Every signature helps ensure voters get the chance to hear where our presidential candidates stand on preventing future tragedies. Thank you so much for adding your name today.

Aimee Thunberg
Communications Director

Donate

Jacob,

We know we''ve emailed a couple times already about our fiscal year-end deadline, but there are two big reasons why:

1) We know you care deeply about protecting children from gun violence and 2) unless we close our fundraising gap by midnight, we might not be able to work fast enough to prevent the next tragedy.

We can''t bear to see more families torn apart by gun violence, so we cannot miss tonight''s goal. With time running out before our fiscal year ends, will you donate now to help protect more children from gun violence?

Please rush $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight. We can''t bear to miss this critical goal and put children''s lives at risk.

Working to prevent other families from experiencing the never-ending pain of losing a child to gun violence is the only way we know to honor our loved ones. That''s why it''s so crucial that we end our fiscal year strong: We need to know that we have what it will take to expand our lifesaving work in the year ahead – especially with more children in imminent danger during this difficult time of social distancing.

As long as gun violence continues to put children''s lives at risk, we''ll keep doing everything in our power to protect them and prevent tragedies before they happen. Thank you for your support – we couldn''t do it without you.

Sandy Hook Promise

Donate

Jacob,

The shooter who murdered my beautiful butterfly Dylan took ten 30-round gun magazines into Sandy Hook Elementary. It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators.

In an instant, my baby boy was gone forever.

In the time it took the shooter to pause and reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. I can’t help but think about how, if those magazines were limited to just a fraction of the rounds, Dylan might still be alive today.

That''s why I need your help right now. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – but Congress has refused to even vote on it.

I know there are a lot of other priorities at the moment, but more children’s lives are at risk every day that Congress fails to pass this legislation. That’s why it’s critical that we collect 25,000 petition signatures demanding that Congress finally act before more lives are senselessly lost. Will you please sign our petition now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress immediately make high-capacity gun ammunition magazines illegal. This is commonsense legislation that will help protect more children, like my baby boy, from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Dylan continues to be a light in my life, and I will spend the rest of my days building a legacy for him that ensures his light continues to shine. By helping me in this work to protect children like him from gun violence, you''re making that legacy possible.

Thank you so much – it truly means the world to me.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Jacob,

My beautiful butterfly Dylan should have been finishing eighth grade this month.

He would have been looking forward to a long summer of beach trips with his big brother, Jake – and I would have been looking forward to spending each day with both of my boys. But that changed when Dylan was murdered in his first-grade classroom. Now, the summer is filled with painful reminders of all the joy that''s been ripped from my life – and that my little boy is gone forever.

It''s the worst feeling imaginable, and I don''t want any other parents to feel this way.

That''s why I work every day to protect children from gun violence – but right now, change isn''t happening fast enough.

Jacob, I know how deeply you care about this work, but even after Mark and Bill emailed, we''re still falling short of our critical fiscal year-end goal with time running out before the midnight deadline. So please, before you go to sleep tonight, I want to personally ask: Will you donate as much as you can right now to help us ramp up our work in the coming year and protect more children from gun violence?

Before our fiscal year ends at midnight tonight, please click here to donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise to save more precious lives like Dylan''s.

Living with loss is like living in a bubble, with normal life going on outside. Some days the walls are thin, and it''s easy to be a part of everything. Other days, it''s hard to find the strength to try – the streams of Facebook and Instagram updates are little reminders of everything Dylan is missing.

But every day, I try to break through the bubble so I can protect more children like my beautiful butterfly from gun violence. And I couldn''t do any of it without your support. Thank you so much.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

Donate

Jacob, we know we''ve reached out a couple times today, but this is simply too important:

1. With just four hours until our fiscal year ends, we''re still falling short of our fundraising goal. We MUST close that gap.
2. Unless we reach our goal by midnight, we could fail to protect more children from gun violence in the coming year.
3. We cannot bear feeling like we''ve failed other parents who were counting on us to keep their children safe.

We know you care deeply about protecting children from gun violence, which is why we''re reaching out again in this critical moment. Whether we reach this goal will determine how many children we can help protect from gun violence in the next fiscal year. It''s so important that we pulled up your supporter record below, just so you can see where you stand:

EMAIL: produce91936@
DONOR STATUS: Hasn''t Donated
SUGGESTED DONATION: $10

Please rush $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline at midnight. The resources we can dedicate to saving lives next year depend on what we can raise by our critical deadline in four hours.

Every day, we live with the heartbreaking truth that our loved ones'' murders could have been prevented. It''s a burden that no one else should live with.

That''s why reaching this goal is so important to us – because it means we''ll be able to do more lifesaving work over the next 12 months and spare more parents the unending pain of losing a child to gun violence. And with children facing new challenges that threaten their lives and safety during this difficult time of social distancing, this work is as crucial as ever. Thank you for helping save lives with your generous support today.

Sandy Hook Promise

Donate

My sweet little Daniel always looked forward to the summer, Harper.

He loved the feeling of warmth against his skin. He’d jump out of the swimming pool, run onto the hot pavement and lie down with his eyes closed – enjoying the sensation and the moment. When everyone else would be complaining about the heat, there would be Daniel, eyes closed, with his tummy pressed against the hot ground.

Summer, like Daniel, was just so innocent. But I’ll never have another summer with my sweet little boy again.

It’s too late to save Daniel, but it’s not too late to save other parents from the horror of losing a child to gun violence. That’s why we need to raise $70,000 before our fiscal year ends tomorrow – to make sure we have the resources we need to prevent the next tragedy before it happens. If we don’t, it could put more children’s lives at risk.

So please, can I count on you to donate as much as you can right now to help us reach our final goal of the fiscal year and protect more children from gun violence?

Please rush $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise before our fiscal year deadline tomorrow. Every dollar you give will determine what we can do to protect children from gun violence in the months ahead.

I’d give anything to be spending another summer with Daniel, watching him fish on the dock or play in the backyard. Instead, with your support, I’ll be working each day to expand our gun violence prevention programs that I know save lives.

Doing everything I can to protect children like Daniel from gun violence is how I carry on the legacy my sweet little boy left behind. Thank you for making a gift today so we can continue to do this lifesaving work.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

Donate

Our hearts are broken yet again, Jacob.

More than 160 people were killed and 500 more injured by gun violence over the July Fourth holiday, including a 7-year-old girl in Chicago playing in her yard, an 8-year-old boy in Alabama walking through a mall and an 8-year-old girl in Atlanta sitting in her mom’s car. The toll of this loss on our country and the disproportionate toll on Black families is heartbreaking.

It’s another gut-wrenching reminder that we must keep pushing for gun safety reform – there are precious lives on the line if we don’t move quickly enough to prevent the next tragedy.

But our leaders still do nothing. It’s been almost a year and a half since the House passed universal background checks legislation that could have prevented shootings like the ones that took place across the country last week – but the Senate refuses to even vote on it.

Every day the Senate fails to act puts more children''s lives at risk, so we cannot stand by silently. We need another 30,000 petition signatures to keep the pressure on senators to finally pass this critical bill, but we''re falling short of our goal. Will you sign the petition now to demand a vote on universal background checks?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding the Senate pass universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of those who are at risk of hurting themselves or others and protect children from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

Thank you so much for speaking out to demand action and make lifesaving change. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Lauren Alfred Levin
Vice President, Policy and Partnerships

Donate

Jacob, we don’t want you to miss out: Tomorrow is the last day to order your special edition Sandy Hook Promise orange T-shirt for National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 5 – and our supply is going fast.

Our work has never been more critical: Recent data shows that even more children are in imminent danger from gun violence during this pandemic. So even though we can’t come together in person on June 5, we will still be wearing special Sandy Hook Promise orange T-shirts to show our commitment to saving lives and preventing future tragedies – and we hope you’ll join us.

By ordering your T-shirt in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, you’re directly funding our work to protect children from gun violence. Will you order one today, before our stock runs out?

Please give $26 to get your Sandy Hook Promise #WearOrange shirt today. We only have a few left, and orders need to be submitted by Wednesday to ensure you get it in time to wear on June 5, so don’t wait.

Order Now

Thank you for all you do to fuel this movement and help us honor our loved ones by protecting children from gun violence. It means so much to have your support.

Sandy Hook Promise

Order Now

Harper,

Every day without my sweet little Daniel is hard – but days like Father’s Day are the hardest.

Daniel’s absence – his empty chair at the kitchen table – is just that much more evident.

In the first few years after Daniel was murdered, days like tomorrow all melted together. It was a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process of managing my grief and trying not to let it consume me – all while trying to be the best dad I could be to my surviving children, James and Natalie.

I can’t tell anyone else how to navigate a Father’s Day without their child – especially those who are separated from their loved ones during this difficult time of social distancing. All I can say to them is that I’m so sorry. They just have to get through it the best they can and connect with those who love them however possible.

That’s why this year, it’s so important to me that fathers whose children were murdered like Daniel know that I''m sending my love and support their way – along with a promise that I’m trying my best to prevent it from happening to another family. Harper, it would mean so much if you’d join me in sending that message of support by tomorrow. Will you please sign our Father’s Day card now?

Please click here to sign Sandy Hook Promise’s Father’s Day card to send your support and promise for action to all the fathers whose children have been killed by gun violence.

Sign the Card

Life without my sweet little Daniel will never get easier, but every memory I have of him burns bright in my heart and mind. Daniel was a light that can never be dimmed, and I put all my energy into this work to honor his too-short life.

I owe it to him and to other families to prevent more tragedies from happening so other dads won’t have to reckon with a Father’s Day without their child because of gun violence. That’s why I’m so grateful for your support – it means so much, especially on Father''s Day.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

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Harper,

Tomorrow is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the beginning of #WearOrange weekend. I invite you to consider a different kind of support for gun violence prevention that we have never spoken about.

The events of the last weeks have rocked us each to our core. And while our efforts at Sandy Hook Promise are focused on protecting children, the behavior changes we’re instilling in them ripple out to benefit us all and will, ultimately, change the world for future generations.

Inclusiveness. Empathy. Compassion. Speaking up and getting help when seeing any form of violence against or victimization of another person.

The most effective way to teach kids is to lead by example. Staying silent on racial injustice and police brutality is not going to protect our kids.

Please take a moment to read our statement and join us, in whatever ways you can, to be a part of the solution to systemic injustice.

#WearOrange this weekend to raise awareness of our nation’s gun violence crisis and the disproportionate impact it has on Black communities – but also do so to help rally community support for the Black- and brown-led front-line organizations working on prevention and peaceful interventions.

Together, we can create the nation we aspire to pass down to our children – a society we have yet to see, but know is possible.

In solidarity,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan’s mom)

 

 

 

Harper,

My beautiful butterfly Dylan should have been finishing eighth grade this month.

He would have been looking forward to a long summer of beach trips with his big brother, Jake – and I would have been looking forward to spending each day with both of my boys. But that changed when Dylan was murdered in his first-grade classroom. Now, the summer is filled with painful reminders of all the joy that''s been ripped from my life – and that my little boy is gone forever.

It''s the worst feeling imaginable, and I don''t want any other parents to feel this way.

That''s why I work every day to protect children from gun violence – but right now, change isn''t happening fast enough.

Harper, I know how deeply you care about this work, but even after Mark and Bill emailed, we''re still falling short of our critical fiscal year-end goal with time running out before the midnight deadline. So please, before you go to sleep tonight, I want to personally ask: Will you donate as much as you can right now to help us ramp up our work in the coming year and protect more children from gun violence?

Before our fiscal year ends at midnight tonight, please click here to donate $10, or as much as you can, to Sandy Hook Promise to save more precious lives like Dylan''s.

Living with loss is like living in a bubble, with normal life going on outside. Some days the walls are thin, and it''s easy to be a part of everything. Other days, it''s hard to find the strength to try – the streams of Facebook and Instagram updates are little reminders of everything Dylan is missing.

But every day, I try to break through the bubble so I can protect more children like my beautiful butterfly from gun violence. And I couldn''t do any of it without your support. Thank you so much.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan''s mom)

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Harper,

The shooter who murdered my sweet little Daniel took ten 30-round gun magazines with him into Sandy Hook Elementary. He deliberately left the smaller magazines at home.

It only took him approximately four minutes to shoot 154 bullets, killing 20 students and six educators. In the blink of an eye, Daniel was gone forever.

But as the shooter paused to reload between magazines, 11 children were able to escape. It’s hard not to wonder if Daniel might still be here had only smaller magazines been available that day.

It’s too late to save my kindhearted boy, but it’s not too late to save another parent’s child. That’s why I need your urgent help. More than a year ago, a bill was introduced in Congress to limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds – but lawmakers have refused to vote on it.

We cannot allow Congress to continue putting children’s lives at risk: That’s why it’s critical that we collect 30,000 petition signatures demanding lawmakers finally pass this legislation before more lives are senselessly lost. Will you please sign our petition now?

Please click here to sign our petition demanding Congress immediately make high-capacity gun magazines illegal. This is commonsense legislation that will help protect more children like my sweet little Daniel from gun violence.

Sign the Petition

We cannot accept another day of inaction from Congress on gun safety reform. That’s why I’m counting on your help to demand lawmakers finally take action to prevent other parents from losing a child to gun violence.

I can’t thank you enough for stepping up today – and for all that you do to help me honor Daniel’s too-short life. Your support is how we’ll continue to make meaningful change that will save lives.

Mark Barden (Daniel’s father)

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Harper,

4,980 dedicated members of the Sandy Hook Promise community responded to the survey we sent around last month. As we continue to see more lives lost to gun violence and reports of children in imminent danger during this pandemic, it’s as meaningful as ever to know that so many of you are by our side in this lifesaving work.

Looking toward the new school year, we have a lot of work ahead of us to expand and sustain our programs to protect children from gun violence. That’s why it’s critically important for us to get your feedback on what we should prioritize in the coming months.

We need at least 10,000 responses on our July Strategy Survey before I go over everyone’s input with Mark and Nicole at the end of the month – and I really want to make sure your thoughts are included at our meeting. Will you take just 60 seconds to share your feedback now?

Please click here to take our quick survey to help inform our strategy to protect more children from gun violence. You are at the center of our work, so it’s critically important for us to hear your thoughts.

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Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your input. It’s such a huge help.

Penny Muldoon
Digital Director

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