Tag Archive for: MarchKindness

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Artist Nava Lundy Creates Portraits of All 17 Parkland Shooting Victims

Parkland, FL — The tragic and senseless shootings on February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School forever changed not just the lives of the victim’s families and friends, but it sent shock waves throughout this picturesque town. It’ll never be the same.

Professional artist and Parkland resident, Nava Lundy, a wife and mother of three, remembers the day with clarity.

“My twin daughters were in preschool less than a mile from MSD, and I got the alert that their school went on lockdown,” recalls Lundy. “After that there was no more communication. I was at a park near MSD with my 15-month old, and I didn’t really understand the gravity of it yet. So, I went home with the baby and quickly learned there was a shooter at large. I’ll never be the same after what happened.”

Lundy said she felt gratitude she wasn’t in harm’s way, but at the same time felt grief-stricken and pain for all the victims and their families. Like so many did, she asked herself what could she do to help?

“I communicate with paintings, and I want the families to know how much we care about them,” said Lundy, who volunteered her time creating each painting. “I worked quickly and did two paintings a week, sometimes three — I just felt this sense of urgency.”

She felt connected to each person, and worked hard to capture their personalities in her work.

Lundy

Alyssa Alhadeff.

She started with Alyssa Alhadeff’s portrait, which she delivered to her parents.

“We all broke down together,” she said. “They were so grateful, and they put it up immediately.”

She worked on Jaime Guttenberg’s portrait next. Jaime’s mother, Jennifer, was teaching preschool at the same school Lundy’s daughters attend — and was protecting those children while her own daughter was murdered at MSD.

”She was in lockdown at the preschool, in a closet,” said Lundy. “I got her picture through someone at school and then I realized I needed to do one for every family. I posted paintings on Next Door and asked people to help me get pictures.”

While doing her research on each victim, Lundy saw people connecting through the portraits, and started to realize the positive impact this project would have. She learned a great deal about each person.

”As an artist, you have a feeling in your head and you try to get it across in the painting,” she said. “We also didn’t want MSD to just become another statistic. I know all the parents feel the same way. Plus, it’s so important to have people realize this could happen to you. We have to continually ask ourselves can we create positive change?”

Lundy completed the final portrait on March 28, just 6 weeks after that tragic day. Accompanied by her baby, Harry, she delivered most of the paintings directly to the victim’s families, and each visit was unique. She said some families weren’t ready to talk, but Joaquin Oliver’s father brought them both into his son’s bedroom so they could get a peek into his personality.

”Then, Joaquin’s dad looked at Harry and said ‘well make sure the schools are safe before he goes to school.”

About Nava Lundy

Nava has been a professional artist since 1998, and has been painting for more than 20 years. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including The Palm Beach Post, The Sun Sentinel, The Chicago Tribune, The Tampa Tribune and The St. Petersburg Times. Her art work has been featured on NBC’s nationally syndicated program Daytime, as well as locally on CBS’s Studio 10. Nava has also been a guest on several radio programs, and regularly conducts lectures on art and art history around Florida through Brandeis University.
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Lundy

Professional artist, Nava Lundy.

Her work has also been used in set designs in several films. To learn more about Lundy’s work, visit www.navagallery.com or visit her Facebook page, Nava Lundy Artist.

Portraits

by Nava Lundy

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Camas High School #NeverAgain Walkout a Moving Tribute to Parkland Victims

Camas, WA — Adult administrators, teachers, and observers stood quietly as approximately 500 students walked out of class at Camas High School Wednesday at 10 am to honor the victims of last month’s senseless Marjory Stoneman Douglas shootings in Parkland, Florida.

The student-led Camas walkout was a peaceful one, organized by Papermakers Abigail Jiang and Monica Chang, to call for common sense gun law reform, kindness, peace, and a better tomorrow. It was part of the national #NeverAgain movement, which has been criticized for having a political agenda — but this event was barely political. It was a moving tribute to innocence lost, and a clarion call for kindness to each other. It was a moving tribute filled with respect.

Adults in the audience simply observed — allowing the students to speak and pay their respects.

The students started filing out of the front door quietly, in an organized and somber way, and then listened to 20 minutes of personalized tributes to the 17 victims at Douglas High School.

There was a call for gun law reform at the beginning, and the student leaders asked for the students to sign a letter to Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler calling for action on several items.

Walkout

A moment of silence.

”We call for common sense gun reform that will help ensure that a mass shooting like this never happens again,” said Jiang, in the walkout opening statement. “Enough is enough, and as students we demand tangible action to ensure our safety in school. Although some of us may not be of voting age, we have a voice in our community, in our nation. This is a chance for our generation to speak up. Today, one month after the horrific events at Parkland we will be honoring and remembering the 17 victims of this shooting by talking about their lives and giving them each a moment of silence.”

The walkout leaders then read touching tributes about each of the following victims (not necessarily in this order):

  • Alaina Petty, 14;
  • Alex Schaffer, 14;
  • Alyssa Alhadeff, 14;
  • Cara Loughran, 14;
  • Gina Montalto, 14;
  • Jaime Gutenberg, 14;
  • Martin Duque Anguiano, 14;
  • Luke Hoyer, 15;
  • Peter Wang, 15;
  • Carmen Schentrup, 16;
  • Helena Ramsay, 17;
  • Joaquin Oliver, 17;
  • Nicholas Dworet, 17;
  • Meadow Pollack, 18;
  • Scott Beigel, 35;
  • Aaron Feis, 37;
  • Chris Hixon, 49
WalkOut

Peaceful assembly. Photo by Blake Schnell.

Some of the Tributes

“Joaquin Oliver had just become a US citizen in 2017. He loved sports of all kinds and was a huge fan of the Venezuelan national soccer team and loved basketball and football. Joaquin was a big fan of Dwayne Wade. He was buried in Dwayne Wade’s jersey. He loved urban graffiti and listened to hip-hop music.”

“Meadow Pollack, 18, was a student excited for the future, planning to attend Wynn University in the Fall, she was loving and kind — her family calling her the light of their lives. She was motivated to achieve great things, and would have achieved so much.”

”Aaron Feis, 37 years old,  was an assistant football coach at Stoneman Douglas. He threw himself in front of a group of students to protect them during the shooting. He died after being rushed into surgery for a gunshot wound. Students always saw that Feis put himself second, and he died this way, too. As a hero …”

“Peter Wang, 15 years old, was a student at Stoneman Douglas. He was a member of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at the high school. On the day of the shooting, Peter was in his ROTC uniform and did not run. But held open a door to help others escape. He was shot while doing so.”

Ryan and Kelly Petty, the parents of Alaina Petty, sent a statement about their daughter, which was read by Jiang at the conclusion of the tributes.

“We ask that you honor her memory by taking a moment each day to say hello to someone you don’t know, by doing something kind for someone who you think may least deserve it, and to lift those around you with kind words.”

A long moment of silence ensued.

”Everyone just feels like enough is enough,” said Chang. “So, this walkout is a national walkout. We got together and organized things individually because we felt we had to do something. We finally united.”

Students behaved very respectfully during the walkout, and when it was done they quietly went back to their classrooms. The leaders promised to WALK UP after the walkout to reach out to students who feel isolated, marginalized, or just a need an emotional lift.

”That was a moving event,” said CHS math teacher, Alisa Wise. “We do have a bright future.”

Camas is a the center of a national #MSDKindness, which started with our current #MarchKindness campaign. We ask that you visit www.msdkindness.com to learn how you can help.

Photo Gallery

Photos by Blake Schnell

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Camas-Washougal #MarchKindness Campaign Officially Adopted By Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah — Less than two weeks after launching, the Camas-Washougal-based #MarchKindness campaign, which was Lacamas Magazine’s response to the horrific Florida school shootings, was adopted by the State of Utah and became HCR 22 #MSDKindness Month. The bill unanimously passed the Utah Senate and House Thursday morning, and was signed by Governor Herbert.

HCR 22 was written by Dr. Mirella Petersen, a Florida-based advocate for mental health and autism issues, who was in Utah to finish legislative business. Petersen lives close to Ryan and Kelly Petty, whose daughter, Alaina, was murdered at Douglas High School, along with 16 other innocent people.

”I saw the #MarchKindness video that Lacamas Magazine produced, and I thought Utah can adopt this,” said Petersen. “So last Thursday, I wrote the bill in four hours and presented it to Attorney General, Sean Reyes, Representative Paul Ray, and Senator Dan Thatcher.”

Both Ray and Thatcher co-sponsored the bill and managed to get it through the legislative process at lightning speed. The Utah Legislative session ended on March 8, the same day HCR 22 was passed.

”The stars aligned very quickly,” said Petersen. “It’s really a miracle.”

Ray agreed.

”Bills usually take nine weeks to get through — sometimes up to a year,” said Ray. “We felt this continuing resolution was a good idea to help promote kindness in an official capacity and to tie it into our SafeUT app. You guys in Washington started a national movement.”

Ryan Petty was honored by HCR 22, and was in attendance with daughter, Meghan, son Ian, and daughter-in-law, Sophia. Petty had spent the previous few days working with the Florida Legislature to pass a school safety bill, which gives schools additional protections against shootings.

”I was honored to represent all 17 victim families as the Utah Legislature recognized our loved ones by declaring April a month of kindness,” said Petty. “We are all honored by what the Utah Legislature has done. We came together as families to make sure we are the last ones that ever lose a family member to senseless school violence.”

Petty said “what our friends in Washington did with #MarchKindness is the perfect response to what is happening in today’s society. The campaign personifies our daughter, and helps lift the dialogue. We have to do better. Fortifying our schools is the last line of defense, so we have to start earlier and help people by being kind to them, to fund our mental health programs, and respect each other. We will continue these efforts.”

The Petty family, with their guests, the Jenkins family, and a Washington delegation, which was represented by Ernie Geigenmiller and Jordan Geigenmiller, and their guests Tracie Goettig, Charles Hall, and Blaine Cutler, received a warm reception by Utah State Attorney General, Sean Reyes.

”We thank all of you for coming here today,” said AG Reyes. “To the Petty family, we express our love to you today, and as you now, you have many here who are your family — and here on the Hill, too, we are your family, whether you wanted us or not, you’re stuck with us.”

During the meeting, Thatcher said “The Legislature has suspended some of the rules to make this vote happen today. It’s that important we do this.”

Following the private reception, AG Reyes escorted the parties to witness HCR 22’s vote in the House, which was introduced by Representative Ray.

Kindness

From left: Dr. Mirella Parker; Utah Attorney General, Sean Reyes; Ryan Petty; and Meghan Petty. They were presented a cherished painting.

“The Petty’s are with us because their daughter, Alaina, was one of the victims in the Parkland, Florida shooting, and so they’ve been very involved across the nation getting the word out. And, the two things they are doing is trying to honor the memory of their daughter and the service she gave, and also to help stop these senseless acts of violence … The state of Washington, which is where they lived prior, made March a month of kindness in their honor … to spread the message of kindness and working together … what we’re doing here in Utah is we’re adopting April as our month of kindness, and we’re putting together a website that people can go to and report acts of service they are doing. We’re also challenging other states to adopt a month throughout the rest of the year …”

Highlighted provisions are:

  • Honors the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School tragedy for the exemplary lives and acts of service by designating the month of April 2018 as #MSDKindness month.
  • Encourages the citizens of Utah to participate in random acts of kindness during the month of April 2018 and report their acts on the SafeUT mobile application. The app promotes school safety and access to critical services for school-aged children in the state of Utah. The app itself has thwarted 86 attacks, according the Utah AG’s office. We will provide a detailed article on how the SafeUT app works.
  • Challenges other states to claim a remaining month of 2018 as their state’s month of kindness.
  • The resolution will be sent to State Legislatures of the other 49 states and each member of Utah’s Congressional delegation.
Kindness

The Utah House Floor.

The names of all the victims were then read:

  • Alaina Petty, 14;
  • Alex Schaffer, 14;
  • Alyssa Alhadeff, 14;
  • Cara Loughran, 14;
  • Gina Montalto, 14;
  • Jaime Gutenberg, 14;
  • Martin Duque Anguiano, 14;
  • Luke Hoyer, 15;
  • Peter Wang, 15;
  • Carmen Schentrup, 16;
  • Helena Ramsay, 17;
  • Joaquin Oliver, 17;
  • Nicholas Dworet, 17;
  • Meadow Pollack, 18;
  • Scott Beigel, 35;
  • Aaron Feis, 37;
  • Chris Hixon, 49
Kindness

Utah Senator Daniel Thatcher introduces HCR 22 to the Senate Floor.

Once the House passed HCR 22, it moved onto the Senate, and we had the opportunity to witness the event on the Senate Floor.

Thatcher introduced the bill and said, speaking of Alaina, “Above all, her dad wanted you to know of her incredible kindness, and her desire to be friends with everyone.”

Thatcher then showed his fellow senators the 60-second #MarchKindness video.

“So, when Representative Ray and I first learned about #MarchKindness, our first thought was CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, “said Thatcher. “What better place to take an idea like this and carry it forward than Utah.”

HCR 22 unanimously passed the Senate.

A national website was created to honor the victims and report acts of kindness. The website is www.msdkindnessmonth.com

Representative Ray is working with Indiana to see if they accept the challenge.

#MSDKindness

Kindness Gallery

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#MarchKindness Day 3: Food With Friends, Shower Outreach, Helps Local Homeless

Dear Friends, Our MarchKindness Day 2 feature was a video about Dawn Stanchfield, owner of Lily Atelier, who does a lot for Camas Lacrosse teams.

Vancouver, WA — Cherish DesRochers-Vafeados and Jamie Spinelli work on a shoestring budget each week to help dozens of homeless people get the nutrition they need and get access to a warm shower.

Cherish is the president of the non-profit, Food With Friends, and its off-shoot organization, Shower Outreach Project, and works very closely with Jamie to find the funds and provide help to people in transition with their lives.

”We started doing street outreach,” said Cherish. “We knew where people needed help so we went straight to them. This was a few years ago. Now every weekend we hand out food to people who desperately need it.”

She said they work closely with Living Hope Church, Friends of the Carpenter and the Shared Day Center to meet people and provide food bags to the downtrodden. Donations come from various businesses, such as Little Ceasar’s Pizza, who provide pizzas, and individuals who want to help out.

They also drive a shower trailer Friday through Sunday.  Each Friday, they stop the shower trailer at the Friends of the Carpenter non-profit. On Saturdays, from noon to 3 pm, they stop at the Shared Day Center, and on Sunday they stop at the Living Hope Church, from noon to 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also helped out.

”We provide the shower trailer, the propane to heat the water, and the organizations provide the water,” said Cherish. “We serve about 75 people each week, and it’s great to help people. One man hadn’t showered in 35 days, now he gets to shower at least once a week. It makes people feel better.”

Cherish said a local organization once provided free shower wasn’t able to continue, so they decided to fill the gap.

Friends With Food purchased the trailer last year for $15,000 (at cost) from a man in Portland.

”We held a fundraiser and overnight we received $18,000 in donations,” said Cherish. “It was enough to pay for the shower trailer, so we were thrilled.”

Friends With Food/Shower Outreach Project is still working on logistics and seek help with a hauling vehicle for the shower trailer.

”We’re still figuring out the process,” said Cherish. “Thomas Eaton hauls the trailer for us. We’re grateful for his help.”

Friends served about 20 people per day with food and other counseling services, and recently received an inquiry from the Vancouver School District about reaching out to students who don’t have running water or electricity. They are also trying to get socks and underwear donated. Recently, a donor provided 1,200 pairs of socks.

“A lot of these people are waiting for housing to become available,” said Cherish. “They’re in transition, and we’re trying to help out.”

To contact Friends With Food, email: info@foodwithfriends.net or call them at 360.723.5791. You can also find them on Facebook @FoodWithFriendsWA

Friends Photos

 

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