Love For Newtown:: How To Help

I am so sorry for the delayed posts. To be honest, since Friday I have had a hard time finding the drive to write about parties while my heart is grieving so. I find myself crying at odd times thinking about the sweet families affected by the terrible events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary. In an effort to help this tragedy spark change, I encourage you to reach out and help those in pain, enact kindness and celebrate life! A few of my sweet party & blogger friends have created just a few ways to do just that. You can Shine Light in the Darkness, give 26 Acts of Kindess for Angels, or make snowflakes for the children returning to school. Please just do something and many prayers to Newtown. We love you.

Other Ways to Help::

— My Sandy Hook Family Fund (here)

Set up by the parents of children who survived and other locals, this fund will help with funerals, as well as ongoing living expenses such as food, mortgage payments, daycare, insurance and fuel until they are back on solid ground.

— Newtown Memorial Fund (here)

A new fund founded by Brian Mauriello, who describes himself as a long-term Newtown resident and a parent, to pay for short-term expenses as well as a memorial and a multi-generational foundation fund for the Newtown, Connecticut, community. He is seeking board members.

— Sandy Hook School Support Fund (newtown.uwwesternct.org/); c/o Newtown Savings Bank 39 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470

This fund was set up by United Way of Western Connecticut and the Newtown Savings Bank to provide support services to the affected families and community. Among other efforts, it will support day and night walk-in hours at the Newtown Youth and Family Services Counseling Center

— The Newtown Rotary Sandy Hook School Fund (www.newtownctrotary.org/); PO Box 263, Newtown, CT 06470

Dedicated to supporting the immediate and long-term needs of those in the Newtown community who were affected by the Sandy Hook School shooting.

— Individual victim funds

The families of several victims have asked that memorial contributions be made to a variety of favorite charities, and some have set up their own family funds:

Victoria L. Soto Memorial Fund for Education, via the Adzima Funeral Home (www.adzimafuneralhome.com)

James R. Mattioli Memorial Fund c/o Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main St., Newtown, CT 06470

Dylan Hockley Memorial Fund, 34 Charter Ridge Road, Sandy Hook, CT, 06482

Chase Kowalski Scholarship Fund, c/o People’s Bank, 470 Monroe Tpke., Monroe, CT 06468.

Emilie Parker Fund, https://www.facebook.com/EmilieParkerFund

There are more to come. The family of Ana Grace Marquez-Greene is working to establish arts and music scholarships in her name.