May we not just grieve, but give:
May we not just ache, but act;
May our signed right to bear arms
Never blind our sight from shared harm;
May we choose our children over chaos.
May another innocent never be lost.
Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change. - Amanda Gorman, "Hymn for the Hurting"
To Our Dear Guacamole Friends,
We are excited to start our “Virtual Road Trip” with the Jackson Browne Tour next week, where we will highlight local non-profit organizations in the communities along the tour route. We hope you take time to read the information we send along each week about the organizations, and visit their websites and consider donating to help them continue their hard work making the world a better place for us and generations to come.
But for now, we can’t continue without adding our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the sweet children and brave teachers who were killed in Uvalde, TX at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday, May 24th, as well as the innocent souls lost in Buffalo on Saturday, May 14th. It is beyond words how devastating these events are, and their impacts will be with us for years to come.
Gun violence is a multi-faceted problem, and no one action, no one piece of legislation, will “stop” these events from occurring – many answers are needed. And so, we must take effective action on many fronts, using all the tools and approaches we have. We offer you these ideas and resources as a starting point…but know that now is the time for all of us to take whatever actions we can, to honor the innocent lives lost and to create lasting change for the future. Please…use your voice to help stop these unspeakably tragic events…
MARCH
March for Our Lives, founded by the survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting, is organizing the 2nd March for Our Lives on June 11th, in Washington DC and cities across the country. Their website contains a wealth of information and actions you can take, and information on a march in your area: https://marchforourlives.com
ACT
Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action each have a wealth of resources on current legislative efforts, making it easy for you to make your voice heard, as well as other actions you can take, both locally and nationally: www.everytown.org and www.momsdemandaction.org
GIVE
Victims First is working on the ground in both Buffalo and Uvalde to “support, empower, and protect victims of mass casualty crime through rapid response, financial assistance, community preparedness education, as well as care, support and advocacy for policies that help all victims/survivors.” www.victimsfirst.org
The Buffalo Together Community Response Fund, coordinated by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, will address immediate community needs, long-term rebuilding, and systemic issues that have marginalized communities of color in the aftermath of the horrific events of May 14th. https://www.buffalotogetherfund.org/donate.html
In partnership with Tops supermarkets, the National Compassion Fund has established the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund to provide direct financial assistance to the survivors of the deceased and those directly affected by this tragedy. https://www.gofundme.com/f/buffalo-survivors-fund
Uvalde Strong Survivors Fund will provide direct financial assistance to the survivors of the deceased and those directly affected by this tragedy, under the umbrella of the San Antonio Area Foundation, and in partnership with National Compassion Fund. https://saafdn.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=4301
PREVENT
Sandy Hook Promise does critical prevention work, by taking educational programs into classrooms nationwide, teaching kids how to recognize the signs of impending violence (and there are almost always signs), and what to do when they see them. This is sad but necessary life-saving work to stop tragedies before they happen: www.sandyhookpromise.org
As always, our friend Jackson has the right words. From his song, “Long Way Gone”…
“…It’s never been that hard to buy a gun
Now they’ll sell a Glock 19 to just about anyone
The seeds of tragedy are there in what we feel we have the right to bear
To watch our children come to harm
There is safety of our arms
With all we disagree about - The passions burn, the heart goes out…”
We’ll be back with you next week to join up with Jackson’s tour and highlight some stellar non-profit organizations along the way…
Meantime, we send our love and thank you for your heart, your compassion, and your action…
