Helping the Families

We can’t change what happened. We can’t make it better. We can, however, take one small worry off the plate of the families who lost children in Newtown. From We Are Atheism:

Atheists Giving Aid – Support Sandy Hook Elementary

During this time of great tragedy, American Atheists along with the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics (SOMA, a SSA affiliate and University of Kansas Student Organization) and We Are Atheism, have decided to come together to raise funds for the children and their families affected by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary SchoolThe families that have been hurt did not plan for their child’s funeral, no parent does.  None of us would have ever thought to have money saved for the great expense of a funeral for any of our children.  The money you donate will go directly to the Sandy Hook Elementary families for funeral expenses and counseling for the survivors of the shooting and their families.  Now it is your turn to show that there are more of those who love and care for their fellow community members than those who would kill mercilessly.

A typical child’s funeral costs between $3,000-$5,000.  The wooden casket alone is near $3,000.  In Newtown, CT the cost of living is ~129% above the national average. This horrific time is difficult enough without having to worry about how they are going to pay to bury their child and afford counseling for themselves and their siblings left behind. Please give as much as you can so the people of Newtown, CT can begin healing and get the help they need.

We will be processing these payments to American Atheists to distribute the money to the 20 families that we have contact info for. Additional funds will go to help the families of the adults who were killed and to community in their efforts to provide counseling to those involved. Your donation is tax deductible (we will be getting our 501C3 status next year)

Yes, I know that sometimes parents do have insurance for that. They’ve checked. These parents did not.

You can donate here.

{advertisement}
Helping the Families
{advertisement}

3 thoughts on “Helping the Families

  1. 1

    And while we’re at it, how about a little for the families closer to home in similar situations with the preventable loss of a child — and who aren’t receiving attention from all over the world?

    Seriously, people, this shit is common in the United States. Too often it doesn’t even make the local news unless there are enough cute kids to get past an editor. But it doesn’t hurt the families an less.

  2. 3

    Precisely, Stephanie.

    I’ll give the religions this: at their best [1], this is one of the things they do well. They have the numbers and the organization to provide individual aid to people in need in ways that government (with its rather blunt tools) doesn’t do well.

    So we might best bear in mind that that’s a valuable social function, and when the religions are no longer doing it — who will? (/me looks in the mirror.)

    [1] However common — or not — that best may be.

Comments are closed.