The next Hearts of Hope-Newtown Paint With A Purpose event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10.

HOH-Newtown organizers had announced [naviga:u]its 2018-19 schedule months ago[/naviga:u] would focus on suicide prevention awareness for its April gathering. They have since announced that this week’s event will also be in memory of Jeremy Richman.

Michelle Peters, area director for the Connecticut American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will be the guest speaker. Also in attendance will be the Newtown-Strong Therapy Dogs.

The event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the gathering hall of Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook. The theme for the evening is “Kindness, Comfort, and Peace.”

Drinks including hot chocolate, light refreshments will be served, and Mark Swigart will be performing relaxing background music for the evening.

All are invited to attend. Reservations are not needed. Additional information is available by contacting HOH-Newtown Chapter President Pattie Ptak at 203-828-8103 or [naviga:u]newtown@ourheartsofhope.org[/naviga:u] or visiting [naviga:u]ourheartsofhope.org[/naviga:u].

Hearts of Hope is a pay-it-forward charitable organization where people paint ceramic hearts with messages of compassion and love and send or deliver them to people and places in need of hope and healing. The foundation has conducted thousands of Paint with A Purpose events across the nation to help raise money and provide inspiration and support for various individuals and groups.

Hearts of Hope has local grassroots chapters in New Jersey and Connecticut, and volunteers can be found all across the country. The unique keepsake gifts have been distributed to hospitals, military bases, nursing homes, police departments, and firehouses, as well as to individuals in need of a message of hope.

More than 106,000 hearts have been distributed since 9/11; the organization was founded in the wake of that day’s events.

Honoring A Friend

In the next few months, a very special Hearts of Hope event will take place in memory of longtime Hearts of Hope Volunteer Kathy Halverson Stone.

The Sandy Hook resident recently passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was the dedicated artist for the Hearts of Hope 2017 Commemorative Heart and a longtime artist in the community.

Details will be announced soon.