NEWTOWN, CT — Stress related to the pandemic is causing increased rates of suicide and the potential for violence among our youth. But studies show that violence isn’t inevitable: it is preventable, when you know the warning signs and speak up.
The Wireless Zone Foundation for Giving is donating $25,000 to ensure more schools receive Sandy Hook Promise’s acclaimed Know The Signs violence and suicide prevention programs at no-cost. Start With Hello and Say Something are proven to help to decrease social isolation, violence, and other forms of victimization while strengthening school communities. They teach youth how to identify the warning signs of someone who wants to harm themselves or others, and when and how to reach out for help.
“With so many students suffering in silence today from social distancing measures, it’s critical that we provide educators, parents, and students with these life-saving tools,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “The generous support from Wireless Zone will allow us to bring these trainings to thousands more students nationwide at no-cost to the schools.”
“We are very proud to be able to help support Sandy Hook Promise and all that the organization does to reach out to young people during these hard times and beyond. As we are headquartered in Connecticut, we feel particularly connected to this cause and hold everyone affected in our hearts. We are grateful for the life-saving work that Sandy Hook Promise does,” said Shelley Nemic, president of the Wireless Zone Foundation for Giving.
To date, more than 12 million people nationwide have participated in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help before a tragedy can occur. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted countless school shooting plots, teen suicides, and other acts of violence.
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About Sandy Hook Promise:
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end school shootings and create a culture change that prevents violence and other harmful acts that hurt children. Through its life-saving, evidence-informed Know the Signs prevention programs, SHP educates and empowers youth and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Through nonpartisan policy and partnerships, SHP advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education at the state and federal levels that protect all children from gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Media Contact: Aimee Thunberg, Communications Director, Sandy Hook Promise [email protected] | 646-761-5579