New Hampshire to Newtown: Share Your Love
Help New Hampshire Patch build a huge virtual card to the Newtown, Conn., community and let them know they are in your heart and on your mind.
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“There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.' No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster.” – The Dalai Lama
When unthinkable tragedy strikes, we grapple for a way to come to terms with the how and the why. We search for ways to make sense of what happened, even when it doesn't make sense.
The horrific shooting that took place at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., on Friday, Dec. 14, stunned a nation as the news broke that not one child, but 20, 6- and 7-year-old children and six of their teachers had been shot and killed by a gunman who then took his own life.
Most communities can only begin to imagine sorrow that washed over this Connecticut town described as close-knit and quiet, a suburban community just 60 miles outside of New York City. It was something that we've never imagined, so many lives cut so unbelievably and inexplicably short.
Patch is in more than 900 communities across the country, including Newtown, and when tragedy strikes one of our communities, we all feel it. We are left to question what we would do, how we would cope if something like what happened in Newtown happened in one of our communities – many of which are so like this town of 27,000.
We may not be neighbors in the geographical sense, but at Patch we feel a sense of community across our 900 sites. That's why we here in New Hampshire want to share our love, our thoughts and our prayers with our neighbors in Newtown, and we want your help.
Newtown is sure to be inundated with flowers and gifts over the coming days and weeks. Creation of memorial funds and teddy bear drives have already begun, so we wanted to do what we do best – pull our communities together through our sites and social media – and create a huge virtual card for the close-knit community that lost so much on Friday.
And this is what you can do:
- Upload a photo like the one above, with a message for the families who lost their loved ones, for the students who lost their classmates, for the community trying to make sense of it all and find peace again.
- Upload a video with a message from you or your family.
- Do your kids want to do something? Upload a photo of a card from them to the students at Sandy Hook School.
- Businesses: Do you have a sign board out front? Share your message to the Newtown community and upload a photo.
To upload a photo or video, make sure you're signed into your Patch account and click the "Upload photos and videos" button below the photo above. If you need to create an account, you can do so by clicking "join" at the top of the page. It takes just a minute and is free.
Let's show our love and support for Newtown as it begins to heal from Friday's senseless tragedy.
If you want to send a donation to the families affected by Friday's shooting, get more information here.
Follow Newtown Patch's coverage of the Sandy Hook School shooting here.
Diane Colangelo
9:17 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
The whole world is grieving with you....may you all have the strength and grace to comfort one another and help us all to know who these precious angels were....lets remember them always.....
Jack McKillop
9:28 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
The dreams unfulfilled, The lives yet to live, The survivors left damaged
and the questions is why? Seems so many tradgedies leave that one question unanswered. But each day there is hope. A Hope for Peace. This incident is not limited to Newtown but has touched us all - I grieve for those directly affected and pray for those who have faced unimaginiable loss in an unimaginable way. For those who are now in the arms of the angels may we find some comfort in that.
sandy burt
2:06 pm on Sunday, December 16, 2012
THIS IS HAPPENING ALL TO OFTEN. NO ONE SHOULD GO THROUGH THIS. POOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. I PRAY GOD GIVES THEM THE STRENGHT TO GET THROUGH THIS, ALSO BEING CHRISTMAS AND SOME IM SURE HAVE OTHER CHILDREN , TO TRY TO BE HAPPY FOR THEM WHEN ONE IS MISSING IS UNTHINKABLE. GOD BLESS SANDY BURT
Deb Carter
9:46 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
The first question people ask when something like this happens is : WHY. The simple answer is : There is no reason. It shouldn't happen, but it does. These children could have just as easily have been yours or mine. We never imagine something like this could happen until it does, then we try to prevent. But you can't be inside the mind of anyone else. All you can do is love your family while they are in your presence. These children were adored. They were adorable, innocent and (without reason), stolen from the world. Nothing will ever replace these babies in the hearts of their families, all we can hope for them is that the pain dulls as quickly as possible.
Michelle Ballantine
12:02 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
We all here in New Hampshire want to send our thoughts and prayers. It's unimaginable what your all going through but we are thinking of you in your toughest of times!! Sending so much love!
Steve Noonan
2:12 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
i grew up in newton nh, i thought OMG :o( my heart goes out to all those affected. he has a mental illness, WHY WERE THOSE GUNS SO EASILY ACCEPTABLE TO HIM?
Lisa Whittemore
3:32 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
May the souls of the children and those who taught and cared for them rest in God's grace.
May the hearts of all survivors find peace and comfort following this great tragedy.
May we someday find the answer to this terrible puzzle of our national character.
sandy burt
12:21 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
none of us truly know how you feel. and i hope we never do under those circumstances. all we can do is keep you all in our prayers . i think the kid who was the shooter was a tortured sou. i will never understand why his mom let guns and ammo where he could get it and also teach him how to use it. . this is really bothering me. . if i had a disturbed memer of my family. id never teach him how to use a gun much less keep them around. / , i know he could get them another place but it may have been harder for him if he didnt know how to load and use one. / god bless them all . / its harderfor those left behind with so many questions l
Ronda Cox
3:15 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5bXDk3Go0g
Debbie hopkins
11:30 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
My family and I in Merrimack Nh are grieving along with you all in Newtown ! My heart aches for all of you ! Those little angels and the teachers and staff along with all the families and friends who lost loved ones will forever be in our hearts and prayers .