Sandy Hook Promise, the community organization founded in the days following 12/14, announced Monday, January 12, its partnership with Beyond Differences, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending social isolation in schools across the country. Together, they are promoting February 13 as National No One Eats Alone Day, and urging schools to participate in tackling the epidemic of social exclusion by holding lunchtime events at their schools with activities that encourage students to engage with one another.

“We are very proud to be partnering with Beyond Differences and promoting No One Eats Alone Day,” said Nicole Hockley, communications director for Sandy Hook Promise and the mother of 6-year-old Dylan, who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “While there are a multitude of causes and risks associated with gun violence, we believe that strengthening relationships, feelings of inclusion, and fostering empathy will help mitigate some of these.

“Young people who are isolated can become victims of bullying, violence, and depression. As a result, they may further pull away from society and could be at greater risk to hurt themselves or someone else. No One Eats Alone is an easy and fun program that teaches and empowers students to reach out to others and include them in everyday activities, such as school lunch,” she said.

No One Eats Alone and social inclusion will be the focus of Sandy Hook Promise’s January and February Promise Days, in which individuals across the nation commit to performing a meaningful action to protect children and stop acts of violence. Monthly Promise Day activities will range from having a conversation with a teenager, watching a video or coordinating a gathering of friends. All actions will relate directly to Sandy Hook Promise prevention programs and tools, which are aimed at community connectedness, mental health and wellness, and gun safety. Supporting materials and information will be included on their website.

In time for February 13, National No One Eats Alone Day, schools can request a toolkit of materials, games, icebreakers, and ideas that help students engage with others at lunchtime and create a more inclusive environment in their school and community. The toolkit comes in the form of a backpack filled with game ideas, conversation starters, ways to publicize their events, and more. The backpacks are sent free of charge, by going to www.nooneeatsalone.org.

The No One Eats Alone program includes three simple themes:

*Students Can Improve Their Own Communities, by making sure that everyone is included at lunch;

*Inclusive Communities are Stronger Communities; and

*Stopping Social Isolation Helps to Stop Bullying, meaning school communities with a culture of inclusion will have far less bullying.

Sandy Hook Promise and Beyond Differences are asking schools, student clubs, parents, and community leaders to visit www.SandyHookPromise.org to learn how to begin using the No One Eats Alone curriculum in their schools and families, in preparation for the national awareness day. 

Sandy Hook Promise is led by several families who lost loved ones in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The organization engages and empowers parents and communities with targeted prevention programs designed to protect children from gun violence, in the areas of mental wellness early identification and intervention, social and emotional development and firearm safety and security. 

Beyond Differences is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending social isolation in middle schools across the country. The services it provides to public and independent middle schools are free and the effort is led by teens. Beyond Differences believes that social isolation is at the bottom of a pyramid of behavior that can sometimes end in bullying or worse. To learn more about the organization go to www.beyonddifferences.org.