When tragedy struck Newtown on 12/14, people across the country sent love to town in many different forms. Among the many gifts were 2,500 Hearts of Hope (HOH) painted by Scout troops, churches, families, neighbors, and schools. Messages of kindness, love, and hope had been painted onto palm-size ceramic hearts, left around town for residents to find on Valentine's Day 2013.the Newtown chapter's Facebook page. The monthly events generally run September through June.

Those hearts inspired a group of residents to start the non-profit's first HOH chapter in Newtown. Through regular painting parties and an outpouring of volunteers and support, people of all ages and artistic abilities were able to pay it forward to places like Boston, Paris, and Charleston; to veterans, to cancer centers, to children's hospitals, and a host of other causes and locations in need of hope and healing.

The latest recipient of the hearts has been the city of Orlando, in response to June 12 shootings at a nightclub that took the lives of 49 people and wounded 53 others. Attendees of the June painting party hosted by HOH-Newtown created 100 hearts for Orlando.

Another 600 hearts were painted by employees of New York Life Insurance Company, a longtime supporter of Hearts of Hope. HOH Founder and Executive Director Judy Pedersen flew to Orlando recently, delivering 600 Hearts of Hope this week to various locations within the city and community of Orlando to mark the one month anniversary of their tragedy.

Hundreds of additional hearts are being painted regionally, and will be delivered in the coming weeks. In total, over 1,200 Hearts of Hope will be distributed within the community of Orlando before the summer's end to first responders, hospital staff, community leaders, families, friends, and strangers as a way of spreading hope to a community in need of immense care and healing.

HOH is a volunteer-driven nationwide community service program. Small hearts are painted with positive messages or illustrations depicting hope, and then distributed to those who are facing challenges. If not delivered to specific people or places, the hearts are packaged in protective bags and left in public places to be discovered by strangers, who are encouraged to keep them and take them home.

The program was developed in January 2002 in response to 9/11. The brainchild of Judy Pedersen, more than 70,000 hearts have been given away since the program's inception.

A Hearts of Hope-Newtown chapter was formally recognized by July 2013. Painting parties, held in the community room of Newtown United Methodist Church, will resume in September, according to