This is Day 5 in our
12 Days of Action
. We are so glad to have you as an active member of our extended community. The ENOUGH Campaign is posting daily actions for you to make a difference in ending gun violence.
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"Be nice to each other. It's really all that matters." – Dawn Hochsprung, Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal
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This holiday season is filled with acts of kindness: we recognize our teachers, neighbors, and friends with cards and gifts. When we give, we feel good, because we make other people feel good.
I was in the supermarket and overheard someone letting a person go ahead because she only had one item. The woman thanked her and declared that it was holiday cheer. I was a little taken aback by that comment. I thought, how sad that person thinks small acts of kindness are reserved for this gift-giving time of year.
Acts of kindness build stronger communities. Acts of kindness are contagious. Acts of kindness honor lives that have been lost.
In honor of the 26 lives lost at Sandy Hook five years ago, I invite all of you to look for small ways to bring light into your communities through actions in honor of those lost to gun violence. Those lives matter, those lives are missed, those lives would have been contributing to our communities with their own acts of kindness.
Fill the world with your
#ActOfKindness,
and feel free to inspire others by posting a positive comment, or tell us about your act of kindness, on our
Facebook page
or on your own social media, and tag us!
-Teresa Shafir, community volunteer and co-founder, The ENOUGH Campaign
#12DaysofAction
#ActOfKindness
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Five Year Old Survivor Needs Your Help
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SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (
KTRK) -- A young survivor of the Sutherland Springs church shooting faces a long road to recovery.
Ryland Ward was shot five times inside First Baptist Church last month.
The 5-year-old also faces a holiday without his mother and two of his siblings, all of whom died in the mass shooting.
The boy is still in the hospital six weeks after the shooting, and his family says he will still need more time to heal before heading home.
The family made a call to the public to
help make the boy's holiday brighter while he recovers. As reported by KSAT [ABC affiliate] in Houston, the family is appealing for Christmas cards with a dollar bill to Ryland*.
The family wants to get the boy a go-kart for Christmas.
Christmas cards can be sent to:
Ryland Ward, P.O. Box 174, Sutherland Springs, TX 78161.
A GoFundMe account is also active for the child. You can make a donation at the
crowdfund site.
As of Sunday, the GoFundMe drew more than $148,000 of its $200,000 goal to pay for the boy's medical expenses.
At 26 dead and 20 injured, Ryland is an injured survivor of the worst mass shooting in Texas history.
*The US Postal Service discourages people from sending cash through the mail.
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Transform Communities, Transform Ourselves
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The
Kindness Project began in 1996 as a way for families to honor their deceased child and to help themselves heal. Now, years later, almost 2,000,000 (yes, two million!) Kindness Project cards have been used around the world to perform random acts of kindness in memory of a child, parent, friend, or spouse who died before their time.
The idea is to perform random acts, usually anonymous, of kindness in your community. A little card is left behind so that the person who benefits from the kindness knows that someone’s life and death continues to matter. This beautiful movement has helped thousands of families to heal and find positive outlets for their overwhelming grief.
Through kindness, we can make incredible transformations within our communities, in our families, and in ourselves. Visit the
MISS Foundation to learn more.
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The Importance of Intentional Kindness
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The mission of Ben's Bells is to inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships and our communities.
"My husband and I were visiting the Grand Canyon last week. At an overlook I noticed the beautiful Ben's Bell wind chime attached to the explanation of the view. I was very hesitant to take it! Read the card 3 times! It now resides in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, my home. I hate to give it up, but I want to share the happiness." - Donna
Have you seen these handmade chimes hanging around anywhere?
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Create Change Through Kindness.
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Kindness is service, and helping even one person can enact meaningful change. Whether it's preventing gun violence, stamping out hunger, or teaching others to read - with focused intent - kindness supports action for social justice.
"The world is changed by you. It's one person filled with love."
- Kid President
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The mission of The ENOUGH Campaign is to protect our families and our country as we advocate for more public awareness on the issues of gun violence prevention in America. Through legislative advocacy and community education, we champion stronger gun laws and aim to transform public perceptions of gun safety.
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The ENOUGH Campaign is a proud member of the Newtown Action Alliance
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