### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ###

December 8, 2022

Stone Mountain, Georgia- On Sunday, December 11, Jared’s Heart of Success will be co-hosting a holiday event for survivors of gun violence and those who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Survivors in attendance will create a quilt to be unveiled during National Gun Violence Survivors Week in February and dinner will be served. The event will also be hosted by Julvonnia McDowell and Ronda Harris, fellows in the Everytown Survivor Network.

Jared’s Heart of Success is a nonprofit organization focused on youth empowerment and gun violence prevention. The organization was founded by Sharmaine Brown after her son Jared was killed by a stray bullet in 2015. Sharmaine has become a leading national advocate for gun violence prevention through her work with Jared’s Heart of Success and as a member of the Everytown Survivor Network.

“During the holiday season, many people who have lost loved ones, especially to gun violence, feel the void even more than usual,” said Brown. “We hope this event will lighten the grief and help work toward a better, brighter future, one free of gun violence.”

The holiday event, with the theme of “Love, Laughter, and Light,” will be held at JJ’s Define You Dance Studio (2165 W. Park Ct., Suite F, Stone Mountain, GA 30087) at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 11. Attendance is free but preregistration is required. Those who wish to attend can register at https://jaredsheartofsuccess.com/survivors, and attendees are encouraged to bring a framed photograph of their loved ones who were killed by gun violence.

National Gun Violence Survivors Week occurs each year in February and focuses on the stories of those who have been impacted by gun violence in different ways, such as having someone they know and care for wounded or killed, being a witness to gun violence, or being threatened or wounded by a gun.

This event was made possible by a grant from the Everytown for Gun Safety Support

Attendance is free but preregistration is required. Those who wish to attend can register at https://jaredsheartofsuccess.com/survivors, and attendees are encouraged to bring a framed photograph of their loved ones who were killed by gun violence.

For more information on the event on December 11, contact Sharmaine Brown at 678-643-3378 or by email at sharmainesbrown@gmail.com.

For more information on National Gun Violence Survivors Week, go to www.momentsthatsurvive.org.