National Gun Violence Survivors Week
Saturday Feb. 1—Saturday Feb. 8, 2020
What it is
In February 2020, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund along with Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, the grassroots volunteer network of Everytown for Gun Safety, and partners, will honor the second National Gun Violence Survivors Week, a week focused on sharing and amplifying the stories of gun violence survivors who live with the impact of gun violence every day of the year. Early February marks the approximate time that gun deaths in the United States surpass the number of gun deaths experienced by our peer countries in an entire calendar year. Tragically, America’s gun death rate is 11 times greater than that of our peer countries. Throughout the week, gun violence survivors — including those who have witnessed an act of gun violence, been threatened or wounded with a gun, or had someone they cared for wounded or killed with a gun, will be sharing their stories and allies will be amplifying their voices using the hashtag #MomentsthatSurvive, to represent the moments and memories that endure for survivors after experiencing gun violence. Hundreds of survivors have shared their stories on Everytown’s Moments That Survive story wall, and you can help amplify the stories from the site or of gun violence survivors from your own networks.
Why it matters
- To put a human face to America’s gun crisis: Gun violence changes lives forever. By sharing stories, we highlight the human consequences of gun violence in America and honor those who have been taken.
- Raise Awareness and educate Americans on all forms of gun violence: Through sharing stories of all kinds, we can raise awareness of the full scope of gun violence, including the reality that two thirds of gun deaths are suicides and gun homicide disproportionately impacts communities of color, women and children.
- Enable individuals to recognize their direct, personal connection to gun violence: We are a nation of gun violence survivors: 58 percent of American adults or someone they care for have personally experienced gun violence in their lifetimes. Through hearing stories, we can help more Americans who have experienced gun violence know that they are not alone, and recognize the power of their voice.
If there is one thing you can do during National Gun Violence Survivors Week, February 1-8, it’s share at least one story of a survivor who has moved you. Throughout the week, we encourage you to extend the reach of this campaign by sharing survivors’ stories from the Moments That Survive Story Wall or from your networks on social media. Remember to share these stories between February 1-8 and include the #MomentsThatSurvive hashtag so those who are following the campaign will see your support and reshare themselves.
Sample kickoff Facebook/Instagram posts
By early February, more Americans are killed with guns than are killed in other high-income nations in an entire year.
This National Gun Violence Survivors Week, lift up the voices of survivors by following #MomentsThatSurvive—or visiting MomentsThatSurvive.org—and sharing their stories. [Attach this graphic. On Instagram, please tag @Everytown]
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Every day in America, 100 people die and hundreds more are wounded by gun violence. Even more are threatened with a gun or witness gun violence.
This National Gun Violence Survivors Week, read and amplify the voices of survivors by sharing their stories from Everytown’s #MomentsThatSurvive Story Wall: MomentsThatSurvive.org. [Attach this graphic. On Instagram, please tag @Everytown]
Sample kickoff tweet
By early February, more Americans are killed with guns than are killed in other high-income nations in an entire year.
This National Gun Violence Survivors Week, lift up the voices of survivors by following #MomentsThatSurvive and sharing their stories: MomentsThatSurvive.org [Attach this graphic]
Every day in America, 100 people die & 100s more are wounded by gun violence. Even more are threatened or witness gun violence.
This National Gun Violence Survivors Week, read & amplify survivors’ stories from @Everytown’s #MomentsThatSurvive Story Wall: MomentsThatSurvive.org [Attach this graphic]
Graphic to attach to kickoff posts and tweets
Sample Facebook/Instagram posts for sharing a survivor’s story from the Story Wall
Fifty-eight percent of American adults – or someone they care for – have personally experienced gun violence in their lifetimes.
This National Gun Violence Survivors Week, [we’re/I’m] sharing the story of [insert name here], whose life has been changed forever by gun violence. Read [his/her/their] story and follow the #MomentsThatSurvive hashtag to read and share more stories from survivors across the country. [insert URL to survivor story and tag @Everytown on Instagram]
Sample Tweet for sharing a survivor’s story from the Story Wall
This National Gun Violence Survivors Week, [we’re/I’m] sharing [insert survivor’s name]’s story from @Everytown’s #MomentsThatSurvive Story Wall. [Insert survivor’s name] is among the 58% of American adults who have personally experienced gun violence in their lifetimes. [insert URL to survivor story]