Through my volunteer work with MOMS Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, I have met so many amazing, resilient, and resolute survivors of gun violence. A teacher who survived the massacre at Sandy Hook; two fathers whose sons were murdered at college, one on the east coast and one on the west; the mom of a 16 year old accidentally shot by a friend on Christmas Eve; the mom of a 5 year old killed unintentionally by a neighbor; the friends of a 16 year old who shot himself after a break-up; inner city Moms from across the country who have lost promising young sons to street violence; the sister of a veteran who committed suicide after a 2nd tour of duty; the list goes on an on. My own brother survived physical the wounds from a violent encounter. He was with a lifelong friend from kindergarten who was not so lucky. Bob was murdered. While the physical wounds have healed the emotional wounds suffered more than 25 years ago never go away.
It is for them and every victim of gun violence that I dedicate my work. June 2nd is the 3rd annual Gun Violence Awareness Day. Please consider donating to raise awareness, help provide Gun Violence Prevention Programs, and to fund research on what is emerging as a public health crisis. More than 33,000 lives are lost and more than 175,000 others injured and permanently altered by guns each year.
Please consider donating. And, please wear Orange for Awareness on June 2nd.