Commitment to our Cause - Director of Operations, Sara Hayden

There are events in your life that shake you to your core and, when sudden and unexpected, you’ll never forget where you were when you heard the news. September 6, 2018 is one of those days in my life. I first met Whitney in high school show choir, and we’ve been friends ever since. We went to the same high school, college, and even graduate school. We are Delta Zeta sorority sisters, we were roommates and bridesmaids. Despite living in different cities for the last 11 years, we’ve remained part of a close knit group of friends who have helped either other through some tough times, so this has been no exception. 

I was sitting at work when my husband called me to ask if Whitney was okay. He’d seen Waller’s Facebook post asking for prayers for Whitney, that she’d been shot at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati. The hours that followed were a blur as I got in touch with our close friends and her family members to find out what had happened and if she was going to be okay. 

We all know how that story ends for Whitney, but what impact did it have on me? For a number of years, gun violence has been an increasing concern on my radar, but one I’d done nothing about. My husband and I are not gun owners and I have never been comfortable around guns. This feeling has only amplified as I had two daughters. I grew more uneasy with the seeming rise in gun violence and all the media coverage around it that was coupled with the inaction by anyone in a position of political power. After Whitney’s shooting I immediately started researching organizations I could join to fight gun violence, but didn’t make it very far before Whitney called me. She had an idea and wanted me to be a part of it, and Whitney/Strong was born. 

Aside from the mission behind Whitney/Strong, there is a reason I signed on so quickly. Whitney and I have a very long history, so I know that she is one of the most intelligent, motivated, persistent and kind people that I know. If she doesn’t know something, she will learn it; if she doesn’t know someone that she needs to know, she will find a contact to introduce her. She will not give up until she makes a difference in this space, and I’m proud to work alongside her to achieve this.

Whitney/Strong stands out as different amongst our peers because we are dedicated to our bipartisan approach. Our board is made up of individuals from the far left and far right sides of politics, and we encourage each other to think differently with our approach to ending lives lost to gun violence. Some may look at our board and say we don’t have the political or non profit experience to be successful. They may say that we should have joined one of the existing organizations fighting gun violence, and expand on the work they have already done. But we wanted to do things a little differently. The topic of gun violence is polarizing, and to make a difference in this space, we have to find a way to come together and find solutions.    

What this Means to Me

Here is my quote to the media:

“Today is an important milestone in the fight to end gun violence. The $25 million Congress has appropriated for gun violence research will help us find data-driven solutions to this epidemic. Thank you to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Congressman John Yarmuth for voting “Yea” on this meaningful funding.”

Before I give you context regarding my statement, I must first share how happy I am. Since I was shot 15 months ago there have been ZERO legislative wins at the federal level. We’ve been to D.C. We’ve had a front row seat to the many opposing viewpoints of those in power. It often feels like making change is insurmountable. But on Friday, all that changed.

The House AND the Senate agreed to fund $25M into the CDC and NIH for gun violence prevention research. This is HUGE! Not just for the researchers clamoring for dollars to save lives, but also because we finally got a win. This issue is not impenetrable! This is the best Christmas present I could have ever received!

For a better understanding of how research can help save lives, see the Five Thirty Eight article we posted last week. Now for some context.

After 15 months of navigating the world of legislation, both at the state and federal levels, I can tell you unequivocally that getting a gun violence prevention bill passed is tough.

From the start, you’ve got extreme points of view sucking the air out of nearly every conversation. Next, and once you’ve moved past the radical points, you’ll find that reasonable people on both sides of the aisle have real concerns that deserve consideration. And with our focus on D.C., there is no clear majority with the power to get their bill through both chambers.

As a result and in the case of this appropriations bill, the $50M requested by the House (led by Democrats), wasn’t agreed to by the Senate (led by Republicans). When the two chambers do not agree they can go one of two ways.

  1. The Senate can ignore the bill as it is too far away from anything they’d consider for passage. This is what happened to HR 8, aka Comprehensive Background Checks.

OR

2. The Senate can take the bill and re-work based upon what they think will muster passage.

With this bill, the latter happened and I’m so glad it did! This request did not go the way of the House gun violence prevention bill graveyard. While there are valid reasons to be frustrated with why that has happened historically, that’s not the way we roll at Whitney/Strong. We believe in incremental wins and will revel when legislators make the right decision, regardless of when or why they get there.

This bill ended up with $25M and not $50M. This was a spending bill. Funds are allocated for many worthy causes, such as military aid, school violence prevention, suicide prevention, etc. I cannot opine on how the deal was struck and why certain initiatives received more dollars than others. I can only tell you this: The Senate got on board in a way they haven’t in the past. Our legislator meetings, the many email and phone communications, and ultimately, our strategy, is working!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Revel in this win with us!

Kentucky Extreme Risk Protection Order Testimony

Many of you have heard my story and I thank you, genuinely, for that opportunity. My story is what compels me to act - the sole reason for my involvement here today.

I’d like to also acknowledge the many audience members who, like me, are called to act as a direct result of their experiences. One I’d like to recognize is Mark Barden, Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise. Mark’s seven-year-old son Daniel was murdered on December 14, 2012 in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. We are honored to have his support today.

For those of you unfamiliar with my story, I am a gun violence survivor.

On September 6th, 2018, I walked into a mass shooting at my place of employment in Cincinnati. Instead of walking into the office to solve the latest problem with my product, I was forced to solve the most difficult problem I’ve ever encountered – surviving a man with a gun, determined to kill me.

It is difficult to go back to that exact moment… terrifying circumstances, limited options for survival and this impossible reality: I might never see my husband and two small children again.

It takes my breath away nearly every time I say this out loud – I was shot twelve times and not once did a bullet hit a major organ or artery. It is inconceivable. Yet, here I sit, physically and mentally strong enough to be here, to talk to you.

What do you do when you cannot make sense of the gift you’ve been given?

For me, there was one answer: fight. Fight to protect others from gun violence in all its forms.

 Through Whitney/Strong, the non-profit I founded with my husband, we are fighting. Fighting, because we believe that by advocating and executing responsible gun ownership, lives can be saved. Fighting because we have a responsibility - as gun owners ourselves - to speak in favor of reasonable solutions that seek to balance public safety with our right to bear arms.

This fight – our movement - is not about blaming the gun or demonizing gun owners. It is about solutions that are bipartisan, reasonable, and effective. Extreme Risk Protection Orders (also known as ERPOs) are that solution.

ERPOs provide targeted intervention in response to evidence of imminent risk of harm to self or others who have a firearm. This type of intervention is not available today but, due to Kentucky’s above average suicide rates and the unfortunate reality of mass violence, it is highly necessary.  

Let me tell you why I support ERPO:

• It has bipartisan support. From President Trump to Lindsey Graham to Elizabeth Warren, ERPO is the solution for curbing gun violence. And that support makes sense: A July 2019 poll by APM found that 77% of the voting population at large is in favor of ERPOs, including 83% of women and 70% of men.

• It is effective. Scholars estimate that for every ten to twenty issued, one life is saved from suicide. In Indiana alone, the law is associated with a 7.5 percent decrease in firearm suicides.

Additionally, and equally important:

• It is gun owner centric. Everyone, gun owners included, can suffer from a personal or mental health crisis.  ERPOs provide help without permanently affecting a gun owner’s right to bear arms.

• It mirrors DVOs and EPOs. That is why its due process protections - notice, the right to be represented by counsel, to challenge evidence and cross examine the petitioner - are both familiar and widely accepted.

• It aligns with predictive factor approaches to safety. Using predictive factors to ensure public and personal safety is common … and it works well today with DVOs, EPOs, the right to bail, and federal firearm prohibitions.

• Its ability to save lives is universal. Regardless of how the person gains access to the gun or why they are facing a moment of crisis, ERPO protections apply.

• It could have saved the life of Kirsten’s mother. And that of countless others.

In closing, ERPO proposes much-needed change that is at once balanced, reasonable, and capable of curbing suicide and mass violence. I look forward to working together to balance the rights of gun owners and non-gun owners alike and in the process, making Kentucky safer for all of us.

Thank you.

STRONG Ohio Testimony

For those of you unfamiliar with my story, I am gun violence survivor. On September 6th, 2018, I walked into a mass shooting at my place of employment in Cincinnati. Instead of walking into the office to solve the latest problem with my product, I was forced to solve the most difficult problem I’ve ever encountered – surviving a man with a gun, determined to kill me.

It is difficult to go back to that exact moment… the moment I recognized my circumstances, my limited options for survival, and the impossible reality that I might never see my husband and two small children again.

Before September 6th last year, I, like you, could not begin to imagine this as your reality. I get it. I really do. Before September 6th, 2018, I also believed I was immune. But it can happen to you. I am living testimony of that. Mass shootings have become the great equalizer of gun violence in our country – and no one is immune. Your zip code, your race, your ethnicity, your religion, your age; none of it can save you. Please heed my warning and consider my testimony.

It takes my breath away nearly every time I say this out loud – I was shot twelve times and not once did a bullet hit a major organ or artery. It is inconceivable. Yet, here I sit, physically and mentally strong enough to be here, to talk to you.

What do you do when you cannot make sense of the gift you’ve been given? For me, there has always been only one answer: fight to ensure that I save as many others from senseless gun violence as possible. And that means you too.

I will never forget the first weekend in August of this year, nearly a year after the shooting that changed my life forever. I was on vacation with my family in Florida and the text messages came flooding in regarding the El Paso mass shooting. I ignored them – it’s one of my many coping mechanisms to stay mentally strong. But the next morning I could no longer ignore the many new text messages as this time … it was Dayton. It was too close to home. I lost it. I was overcome with fear and overcome with hopelessness because of inaction.

But it didn’t take long for my resolve and strength to return. One particularly inspiring moment – seeing and hearing the citizens of Dayton chanting, “Do something, do something do something” from the very location of the horrific shooting just the day before.

You see, it takes many courageous voices to “do something” and that is why we all are here today to testify.

Through the non-profit I founded with my husband, Whitney/Strong, we believe that lives can be saved

from gun violence by advocating and executing responsible gun ownership. We also believe we have a responsibility as gun owners to speak out in favor of reasonable solutions that seek to balance public safety with our right to bear arms.

We are not the only courageous voices. Unable to attend today is Brian Sarver, fellow gun owner and wounded survivor from September 6th. Also, Larry Newcomer, fellow gun owner and brother of Richard Newcomer, one of the three who lost his life on September 6th.

Brian, Larry, and I stand in solidarity with so many other responsible gun owners across our state that are determined to help solve this problem. We represent their voices and are proud to support this bill.

This Strong Ohio bill proposes much-needed reasonable changes that will help curb Ohio’s gun violence epidemic. Each point has been carefully crafted to balance multiple rights: our right to bear arms and our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As a life-long problem solver, I am proud to be on this side today. We’ve found a solution and we need your help to execute.

Ohioians have asked you to “do something”. What has been put in front of you is not just some thing; it is the right thing for this state. You have a chance to make Ohio safer – for you, your family, your constituents. Please take this unique opportunity to pass reasonable legislation that balances the rights of all and makes each of us safer.

Thank you.


The Gun Shop Project and So Much More

I am a gun owner. We have over ten guns in our house— guns that have been passed down for generations amongst my husband’s family. In the same way that family jewelry and furniture can carry sentimental value, these guns do as well. This is one of the many reasons Whitney/Strong is so focused on pulling gun owners into our organization and into our mission.

At Whitney/Strong we believe that most gun owners are responsible and that solutions for curbing gun violence should balance the burden placed on those responsible gun owners with the need for public safety. I encourage you to press pause on any preconceived notions you have regarding gun violence prevention and consider giving us your open mind. After all, no one wants more lives lost to gun violence.

After I reached a point in recovery to feel physically strong enough to be out and about, Waller and I contacted Cole Daunhauer at Knob Creek Gun Range to discuss our desire to partner together on the Gun Shop Project. The Gun Shop Project (GSP) was founded in New Hampshire in 2006. GSP distributes suicide prevention educational materials to gun shops, along with providing guidelines to avoid selling firearms to suicidal customers. The intent is that a suicidal customer will see the suicide hotline or educational materials when attempting to purchase a gun, giving them pause and perhaps preventing that suicide.

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To get to know Cole and to better understand the culture of the shop, we, as a board, decided to train with him. Training included safe storage, principles of marksmanship, target practice and more. What you may not know about me is that I’ve never shot a gun before. Sure, I’m a southerner but proficiency with a firearm was limited to boys growing up and my curiosity never led me to push the stereotypical boundaries. Waller, on the other hand, did the camps, the badges, the hunting trips… all of it.

Leading up to the training, Cole was particularly kind to discuss the best approach for shooting. He mentioned the importance of coming when the range was closed to not drudge up painful memories from September 6th. He took great care in determining which firearm I would use. And, he was quick to suggest that I may not be ready for shooting but that there was no shame in feeling a bit timid. In my typical stubborn fashion, I dismissed any thoughts that I wasn’t ready.

On the first day of training, we spent much of the visit in class with Cole. I learned safety basics such as:

  1. All firearms are always loaded.

  2. Never point the muzzle at anything you aren’t willing to shoot.

  3. Never put your finger on the trigger until your sights are on target and have made a conscious decision to shoot.

  4. Always consider your target, what is adjacent to it, and what lies beyond it. You are accountable for every round.

  5. Firearms belong in two places only – in a safe or on your person (in the case of someone who has been professionally trained to conceal/carry).

  6. Using a firearm is the very LAST resort. When faced with danger, your best bet is to get away/out without ever having to use a firearm. However, be confident in your abilities to use this tool in a proficient manner should you not be able to get away/out.

Once we finished training, we headed over to the range. Cole had decided that I should use a Bersa Thunder 380 for my first shot. Again, I had zero reservations going into that moment. In fact, I was eager to see what shooting was all about.

Cole stepped up and into position, carefully demonstrating the many steps/positions prior to the shot. Once confident he’d conveyed all the necessary steps, Cole shot off several rounds. I was shocked by the initial sound. There was a portable locker sitting behind the line and it took everything within me not to jump behind it. I remember thinking, “I cannot do this. I am simply not capable”. While I was shot twelve times on September 6th, I didn’t see any of the bullets discharge. It is hard to even remember the sound of the shots as I was laser-focused on survival and getting home to my family. So oddly enough, this experience felt new and extremely terrifying.

Not one to back down from a challenge, I had a voice inside my head telling me, “You told everyone you were going to this. You have to do it.” And true to my character, I walked up to the line. Everything that Cole told me to do I did begrudgingly… “get into a good shooting stance”, “take a firm grip on the pistol ensuring your finger is straight and off the trigger”, “put in the magazine”, “pull the slide to the rear and let go chambering the round”, “get your hands in position again”, “line up the front and rear sights”,  “put your finger on the trigger” … Dear God, I was so scared.

Somehow, just somehow, I did it. I shot a single round.

As soon as it happened casing flew up and to the right. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief as I safely placed the gun on the stand next to Cole, and immediately grabbed Waller for an embrace. It is difficult for me to think about how intense and cathartic that moment was. However, Cole was the perfect person for the job.

In the months following that moment, we’ve sent more board members to Cole to be trained and for target practice. We’ve spent hours discussing what steps a gun shop can take to prevent suicides and the accompanying data that supports the need for focus here as Kentucky is particularly problematic.

Did you know that in the state of Kentucky 73% of total firearm deaths were due to suicide? This is above the national average of 66% and seven percentage points higher than our neighbors to the north in Ohio.

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We could not have found a better person to partner with first on GSP. Through the tremendous partnership between the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), we have been lucky enough to utilize their top-notch materials on suicide prevention. In the same way that Cole carefully approached my first shooting experience, he carefully approaches suicide prevention.

While we are in the early stages of the partnership, I look forward to continued lessons learned on how to better assist the Knob Creek Gun Range sales team as they approach difficult conversations. We are committed to supporting this business in addition to future partners.

If you have a gun shop connection and you’d like us to approach them regarding GSP, please email us at whitney@whitstrong.org.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please utilize the resources above pulled directly from the AFSP/NSSF brochure utilized within Knob Creek Gun Range.

Whitney

 

Whitney Reflects on the First Anniversary of the Sept. 6th Shooting

I had very little control over my emotions the week of the anniversary. While I am usually pretty steely, there were many moments where tears would begin to fall no matter how hard I tried to prevent them. I’ll never forget doing a live interview with NPR on September 5th and crying in response to a question about Al. The question caught me off guard and in response, my mind began to wander thinking about how Al truly came out of nowhere to save my life. While there are many heroes from September 6th, Al was the most critical. Without him, I would have died in that revolving door.


Outside of uncontrolled emotion, there was a good bit of anxiety for me. Memories leading up to the day lingered in my brain…


—Saturday September 3, 2018: Waller and I spent the entire day cleaning the new home we had just purchased when we would have preferred a lake trip with the kids.


—Sunday September 2, 2018: The morning sun filled our new kitchen with beautiful natural light as the kids enjoyed homemade waffles that I had made.

Then the work week began and memories are less significant. Except, I vividly recall the school roller skating party the night before the shooting. Every time I hear “Thunder” by the Imagine Dragons it takes me back to that moment where my son is brimming with pride and exhilaration as he independently wheeled around the rink for one of the first times. We were all completely unaware of what was to unfold in the morning.

I’m sure you’ve had this experience. Something significantly painful happens in your life and as you approach the anniversary, you fixate on the events prior. Almost as if you’re trying to remember how good things were before everything changed.

The morning of September 6th this year, Waller and I decided to pull the kids out of school and spend the morning with other survivors and my heroes— Cincinnati Police Officers and University of Cincinnati Hospital staff.

As we approached the start time of the shooting, we were driving through Florence, KY. Silly me, I thought I could convince my kids to have a moment of silence as we remembered the day. And just like that, real-life kicked in. My daughter burst into tears, not because of what happened on September 6th, but because she couldn’t get the show on her iPad to work.

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As much as I wanted to be self-reflective and mindful... as much as I wanted that for my children, my daughter reminded me of my blessings. Not, per se, that she whined and fussed about a show (we will continue to work on that behavior), but that I am alive. That I am here to be her mother and to love, discipline, and mold her.

The rest of the morning was perfect. I even tried goetta for the first time at the diner with the officers (and I liked it!). My children met Al for the first time and spent the better part of the breakfast exchanging “meows” with him as they talked about Kitty Al. And at the hospital, we were overwhelmed with warmth as we hugged our way through the many staff members we hadn’t seen since September 6th.

While those officers and hospital staff will go on to have good and bad days in the “office”, I will never stop reminding them that on one day, September 6th, they did everything right for me and that my life should serve as a reminder of their heroic efforts.

It’s hard to describe; but in the days and weeks following the shooting, I felt a sense of human connectedness that I hadn’t experienced before. I thought often, “this is what life is all about”. My most sincere wish is that we will all find our way to a place of gratitude, connectedness, and purpose. And that we will fight our hardest to stay there.

Thank you to all for the prayers, messages, and calls on the anniversary. It meant so much.

-Whitney

Being Brave and Persistent with Whitney/Strong-- A Guest Post from Development Director Tammy Schaff

As 2016 began, select individuals at the bank where I had built my career received early retirement information and I was one of those “lucky” people. I was initially annoyed; I wasn’t anywhere near retirement age, yet my tenure at the bank, coupled with my age/position, made me a candidate. The timing of this package, however, offered the thought of turning the page in my career book and having a completely fresh start; this was exciting. My one moment of pause was my team, as it’s always been about the people for me – how to lead, how to engage, what did I learn – and this particular team was one of my best. I remember receiving notice of my early retirement approval and needing to tell both my manager and my team.  Both were incredibly supportive and encouraging, once they got over the surprise of my news (and I was processing it as well – holy crap, what did I do – ha, ha), and made my last days of an almost 30-year career at the bank wonderful.

I woke up on April 1, 2016, as a “retiree” and not sure what to do with myself.  Whitney, who had been on my team for several years at the bank, gave me a card as I left the bank that included the words to the theme song from “St. Elmo’s Fire” written out as part of her message. She changed “man” to “woman” in the chorus, noting my next steps would continue to blaze a trail, and it was a perfect send-off.

“I can see a new horizon underneath the blazing sky
I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher
Gonna be your (wo)man in motion
All I need is a pair of wheels
Take me where the future's lying St. Elmo's fire”

~ Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire (David Foster and John Parr)

As much as I didn’t think my day-to-day work defined me, I quickly realized I was struggling with how to think of myself and what my “new horizon” would / could be. I decided this change called for some self-care and used that summer to recharge and reignite myself. Non-profit work was at the top of my list and I spent time talking with friends about this potential next step. The timing wasn’t aligned, as that “right” fit was eluding me.

Late summer of 2016, the HR Director of a local Medicare company reached out on LinkedIn to ask about my interest in a seasonal role for fall. I interviewed and accepted the offer. At the end of 2017, this team delivered the strongest client retention numbers ever for Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. In 2018, the sales team was added to my responsibilities and I was named Chief Consumer Officer, working to ensure both the sales and service were elevating their skills, meeting goals and delivering a great Medicare experience. 

When the shooting occurred at Fifth Third in Cincinnati on September 6, 2018, and I learned that Whitney had been one of the victims, I knew she would be a catalyst in driving change so that what happened to her could be stopped from happening to others.  Whitney was always my “why” person and I knew this incident, while never something someone would want to happen, would be her driving “why” going forward.  Standing up Whitney/Strong two weeks after the shooting is illustrative of that drive and I knew great things were in store.

In February 2019, two friends and I spent the day in Louisville with Whitney enjoying lunch and learning more about her Whitney/Strong work.  She shared about a recent Washington, D.C. trip and the meetings with senators and congressman from both sides of the aisle on her three strategic priorities (her research supported that those very three were ones both Republicans and Democrats could agree on).  Finding a Director of Development was Whitney’s next role to fill and she was asking us for input and ideas.

Our discussion resonated with me and I continued to percolate on it in the weeks after that day in Louisville. I don’t believe you can have someone like Whitney in your life and not be impacted; her shooting had left me wanting to take action. I couldn’t stop thinking about the Director of Development opportunity, knowing I’d be learning as I engaged in such a role; Whitney/Strong could be my non-profit engagement fueled by my passion to make a difference. I talked with Whitney in April and we agreed that I would join her.

As I shared my new role with a few close friends before going public, one of them told me I was “brave” and she was “proud” of my choice with Whitney/Strong.  How often do we hear something like that from people who we love and are influential in our lives?  I can tell you that particular conversation affirmed my decision as I took the leap of faith in leaving the corporate world for the second time.

Now, more than ever is our time at Whitney/Strong. With the mass shooting in Dayton, OH this past weekend, my hometown, the tragedy of gun violence has once again touched too close. Whitney/Strong is my St. Elmo’s Fire. My heart’s work is now trenched in development and fundraising to ensure a safe future for our children while holding elected officials accountable for changing our gun laws. Whitney texted me the morning of the Dayton shooting that we must be “brave and persistent.”  That truth is why I’m here.

“The thing about being brave…it doesn’t come with the absence of fear and hurt. Bravery is the ability to look fear and hurt in the face and say move aside, you are in the way.”   – Melissa Tumino, blogger