On November 1, 2016, Mark Barden came to Merrimack College to speak with the students, faculty, and staff of our school. Mark Barden is the Managing Director and spokesperson for the Sandy Hook Promise Organization. He lost his son Daniel in the tragedy almost four years ago, and now seeks to bring people together to find solutions to prevent tragedies like this one in the future.

Mark told us the story of his beautiful little Daniel, and I had chills while he spoke. To say that Daniel was a good kid is an understatement -- he was the best of the best. He had compassion for others that is a rarity for someone that young, and it is devastating that he and so many others were lost in a tragedy that could have been prevented. He was the kid who would pick worms up off the sidewalk so they didn't dry out in the sun, the little boy who would hold doors for everyone, had excellent manners, and would sit with the student sitting alone. His cousin, a young woman in high school, saw shortly after the tragedy a student who was sitting alone. Thinking, "What would Daniel do?" she went over, introduced herself, and said hello. Later on in the day, that same boy came over to her and thanked her for her kindness.

To keep Daniel’s legacy, Mark tells his story all across the country along with other members of the Sandy Hook Promise, and I know that Daniel will continue to reach thousands for many years to come. His spirit will live on forever, and he has already helped so many people, at just seven years old.

Mark and the Sandy Hook Promise are touching thousands of lives across the nation, and have several prevention programs and practices to help protect children from gun violence in homes, schools, and communities.

Say Something is a program that provides training for children and teens on how to recognize signs of an individual who may be a threat to themselves or to others, and teaches them to say something to a trusted adult to get that individual help. Focusing primarily on social media, this training can lead to help being brought to those individuals before any harm can be done. Because social media is such a large aspect of childrens’ and teens’ lives, being provided with this type of training can take action and spread awareness to others. This is not merely a program for children and teens, but for anyone and everyone who may see something.

Safety Assessment and Intervention is a program that provides training for schools and community organizations on how to identify, assess, and respond to threatening behaviors before they escalate to violence. Gun violence is preventable, and training to identify, intervene, and help individuals who display at-risk behaviors will help to lower acts of gun violence. Mark Barden and the Sandy Hook Promise don’t want a sole focus on guns -- they wish to focus on the warning signs before that.

The program Start With Hello teaches children, teens, and young adults how to be more socially inclusive and connected to one another. Everyday, we see the impacts of social isolation on children or young adults, and these isolated people can easily become a victim of bullying, violence, or depression. Because of this, many pull away from society, struggle from learning and social development, and may choose to hurt themselves or others. Starting With Hello brings individuals and communities together to look out for and care for one another. Make sure that no one is eating or playing alone, and by just this simple action, a life can be changed. Those isolated individuals no longer feel so alone, and you are helping to bring people together.

The final program put on by the Sandy Hook Promise is Keep it Safe and Secure. It provides information on the practices and actions to take to safely secure and store all firearms as well as what to teach children when they see or find a firearm. There is a huge problem in America where households who own firearms are not locking them up, and by better securing them, it is believed that a significant number of gun-related violence, suicides, and unintentional deaths could be prevented.

The Sandy Hook tragedy was something that could have been prevented, and the Sandy Hook Promise has dedicated itself to raising awareness, training, and just saying hello in schools and communities nationwide. I encourage you all to take the Sandy Hook Promise, and join the 888,984 others, including myself, who have across the United States.

“I promise to do all I can to protect children from gun violence by encouraging and supporting solutions that create safer, healthier homes, schools, and communities.”

Do you?

To find out more about the Sandy Hook Promise, please visit their website at:

http://www.sandyhookpromise.org