From Members of Congress to Partner Organizations, Thousands Came Together to Uplift the Voices of Gun Violence Survivors
Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Hosted More Than 80 Events Across the Country; Survivors Shared Stories on MomentsThatSurvive.org, #GVSurvivorsWeek and More
NEW YORK – This past week, members of Congress, mayors, partner organizations and others came together to celebrate the lived experiences of gun violence survivors in honor of National Gun Violence Survivors Week. Gun violence in any form can leave a lasting impact — whether someone has witnessed an act of gun violence, been threatened or wounded with a gun, or had someone they cared about wounded or killed with a gun. This includes but is not limited to gun homicides, police violence, gun suicides, intimate partner violence involving a gun, mass shootings, and unintentional shootings. Since Monday, National Gun Violence Survivors Week was a time to take stock of the terrible human toll of America’s gun violence crisis and recommit ourselves to honoring survivors with action.
Notable highlights from the week include:
- In honor of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, 22 mayors from across the country joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, including: Memphis, Tennessee Mayor Paul Young, Denver, Colorado Mayor Mike Johnston, Hopewell Township, New Jersey, Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Melrose, Massachusetts, Mayor Jennifer Grigoraitis, Baldwin Park, California Mayor Emmanuel Estrada, Daly City, California Mayor Juslyn Manalo, Mountain View, California Mayor Pat Showalter, Palo Alto, California Mayor Greer Stone, South San Francisco, California Mayor James Coleman, Hartford, Connecticut Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, North Lauderdale, Florida, Mayor Samson Borgelin, Des Moines, Iowa Mayor Connie Boesen, Thornton Township, Illinois, Mayor Tiffany Henyard, Bloomington, Indiana Mayor Kerry Thomson, New Albany, Indiana, Mayor Jeff Gahan, Rockville, Maryland, Mayor Monique Ashton, Farmington Hills, Michigan, Mayor Theresa Rich, Durham, North Carolina, Mayor Leonardo Williams Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Mayor Ramon Jose Blas Camacho, Chester, Pennsylvania, Mayor Stefan Roots, Canovanas, Puerto Rico, Mayor Lornna Soto, and Harlingen, Texas Mayor Norma Sepulveda. Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a nonpartisan coalition of more than 2,000 current and former mayors fighting for gun safety in their communities.
- More than 80 events and activities were organized by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers, in partnership with the Everytown Survivor Network and dozens of local community organizations, to elevate the stories of survivors of gun violence in their communities. Highlights include:
- Survivors of gun violence, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers shared their stories and demanded the gun industry be held accountable for our nation’s gun violence epidemic at SHOT Show, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)’s annual trade show in Las Vegas;
- A roundtable discussion in New York hosted Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) where members of the Everytown Survivor Network Allison Glenn, Andrea Murray, Pam Hight, and Laura House shared their stories with their Congressman;
- A roundtable discussion between community partners hosted by Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-03) and the Nevada Moms Demand Action chapter co-lead volunteer, Jamie Bunnell in Las Vegas, including No Racism in Schools #1865, LVMPD, 100 Black Men, Clark County Library District, and others;
- The Everytown Survivor Network hosted a virtual panel conversation with survivor changemakers Abbey Clements, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, Drew Crecente, Founder of Jennifer Ann’s Group, Gabriella Rodriguez, Executive Director of QLatinx and Vincent Pierce, Director of OPEN DOORS.
- In honor of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, the Everytown Survivor Network distributed a total of $200,000 in grants to 19 local organizations that directly support survivors in communities hardest hit by gun violence. Each grant recipient is unique, but all the organizations provide direct emotional or financial support to survivors, connect victims with essential services, and center survivor voices and healing in communities across the nation. The following organizations are grant recipients: A New Beginning 4 You Foundation, Boss Not Bangers, Brother Let’s Talk, Helping Out Our People (H.O.O.P.), Jesse Klump Memorial Fund, Journey4ward, KEYZ 2 THE FUTURE, LEFT HEARTS INC., Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation, Mothers Fighting 4 Justice Inc., MOTIVATED 2 HELP OTHERS, Movement of Mourning Mother’s Association, Nashville Peacemakers, One Family One Fight, Inc., Oscar Grant Foundation, Stop The Violence Prayer Chain Foundation, Strut Talk Runway Therapy, Voices From the Community, and What About Us.
- Thousands of people took to social media to share survivors’ stories and their own personal stories with gun violence using the hashtag #GVSurvivorsWeek.
- More than 100 Members of Congress highlighted National Gun Violence Survivors Week to lift up survivor voices through social media, virtual conversations, panel and roundtable discussions, floor speeches, and press releases, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY-12), Reps. Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Robin Kelly (D-IL), and more.
- Nearly 200 mayors, state and federal officials from across the country elevated the importance of the week, including stories from survivors on social media and issuing mayoral proclamations.
- More than 50 partner organizations, including national membership groups, non-profit organizations, athletic organizations and faith partners across various issue areas, joined the effort. Notable groups include the Philadelphia Eagles, Center for American Progress, Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, Cities United, Sandy Hook Promise, Newtown Action Alliance, March For Our Lives, The National Domestic Violence Hotline, Futures without violence, The Human Rights Campaign, Nextgen America, GLMA, National PTA, The American Federation of Teachers, Children’s Defense Fund, Futures Without Violence, AAPI Victory Alliance, The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Voto Latino, Hispanics in Philanthropy, Unidos US, and Latino Victory.
