Call Emmy stands in solidarity with Boulder, CO

Like most people in Colorado, we are devastated by what happened in our beautiful state on Monday. The recent shooting in Boulder, Colorado included, among others, a brave police officer, young people with a whole life ahead of them, a loving father, and people from all different walks of life. All lives cut short by an unforeseen tragedy.

There are no words that can make sense of what has happened. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and the entire Boulder community.

Perhaps the most disturbing part is that this tragedy took place at a grocery store, a part and parcel of the everyday humdrum of life. It makes us question, is no place safe? Do people have to up their guards even further in an already divided world? How could we prevent such senseless killing?

Although there is no point in living in fear, and there is no option as well (life goes on), we need to actively do our bit in such times of crisis. For starters, we can remember and honor the innocent lives that were ended abruptly.

Here’s a list of the official funds provided by the Boulder Office of Emergency Management and the Governor. 

• You can donate to the Boulder county crisis fund set up by  the Community Foundation serving  Boulder County in coalition with other community organizations. 
• If you want to find about volunteering opportunities, send an email to The Boulder Office of Emergency Management at esf19@bouldercounty.org
• Colorado Healing fund, an organization set up to help victim and their families is accepting donations too. Donate here.
• The Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation: The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accepts donations to provide line-of-duty death response and memorial planning. To support, visit https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/NTU5ODY=.
• To support memorial services and support the family of Boulder police Officer Eric Talley, donate directly to the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation or this GoFundMe campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-officer-eric-talleys-surviving-family (expired)

How to talk to young children about this tragedy:

Continue normal routine: Any significant change in everyday routine will only instill an irrational fear of how the tragedy is affecting daily lives. Children thrive on a set pattern and there should be conscious effort towards keeping diversions to a minimum. 

Monitor how they get the news: Watching news can imprint unnecessary panic laden images on a child’s fragile mind. It is ok to censor most of the news and take the centerstage in how you want to present this to your child.

Focus on how the community come together: We cannot change the tragedy, but we can always highlight how the community comes together in such times. This can be turned into a teachable moment about the importance of community living and how they can help, as future citizens of the world.

Our heart goes out to all the victims and their families. In case you need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to call local Emergency and mental Health Services for Colorado services. Here a list put together by 9News.

The editor of Colorado Sun’s Sunriser newsletter captured our sentiments beautifully: “Colorado has suffered through some of the most high-profile mass shootings in the country — it’s not just a hunch, there is some data backing it up — and there’s a temptation to react to this latest tragedy with numb resignation.
But as we learn more about the victims this morning and the crime itself throughout what will likely be a long investigation, we need to resist the urge to just slip into sadness. You can’t control everything in the world, but wherever you can determine your own path, choose the one that leads to empathy, solidarity and compassion. It might not be a magic switch, but little by little we can build something better.”