There are certain groups to which nobody wants to belong. High among that list of undesirable memberships is to be one whose loved one has been stolen from you by gun violence. Sandy Phillips and her husband Lonnie are members of this loathsome club. Their daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was murdered in the massacre at the midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in the Summer of 2012 in Aurora, Colorado. Their grief and rage could not be measured and the loss of their beloved daughter was unimaginable.

They made two life-changing decisions in the midst of their grief: they’d cling to one another, keeping their marriage intact as so many survivors had not, and they’d turn their heartbreak into action to prevent the tragedy of gun violence for other families. They founded an organization to offer compassion, support, and resources to help the far too many new survivors immediately after their loved ones are taken, and through their grief process. Survivors Empowered is exactly what its name implies, an empowerment group, to not only support survivors, but to relentlessly confront legislators and businesses who have the power to prevent future gun violence.

Find out about Survivors Empowered at SurvivorsEmpowered.org