Request free books to help families have conversations about death and grief

UPDATE: December 19, 2012, 12 pm eastern

There has been an incredible response to our offer of free books to help people having conversations about death and grief in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, CT. We will be sending out over 1,200 copies each of Talking about Death: A Dialogue between Parent and Child and Living When a Loved One Has Died and need to end our offer at this time in order to ensure we get the orders to our warehouse for fulfillment before it closes for the holidays. We hope everyone who receives books will share them with others in their communities who have a need for these resources.

We'd like to give thanks to our distributor, Random House, who has generously offered to cover the expenses of shipping and handling. We'd also like to thank everyone at the Random House warehouse in Westminster, MD, who will be fulfilling all of these orders at such a busy time during the holiday season.

We're including additional resources below shared by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Trauma Response Resources for Families and Congregations

• Helping children and adolescents cope with violence and disasters: What community members can do.
  A guide by the National Institute for Mental Health, for teachers, parents, clergy and community. Download the 20-page PDF, which is well presented and accessible.
  
• Managing Your Distress in an Aftermath of a Shooting
  This is an excellent, well-written guide for parents and other adults by the American Psychological Association, published 2008. One of the best ways to help children is to put ourselves—parents, teachers, congregation members—on a path towards healing. This document could be very helpful.
  
• Tips for Parents of School Age Children: Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of School Shootings
  Aimed specifically at parents working with their children. From the American Psychological Association, 2007.
  
• Helping Young Children Deal with Violence in the News
  PBS Parents series about talking to your kids about the news.
  
• A Resource for Young People Who Have Personally Experienced Trauma
  The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement has many resources online that can help in times of crisis.

Recommended Titles

• Trauma in the Lives of Children: Crisis and Stress Management Techniques by Kendall Johnson.
  
• Children and Trauma: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Cynthia Monahon.
  
• A Terrible Thing Happened: a story for children who have witness violence or trauma, by Margaret M. Holmes—addresses the need for children to find a place to speak about their experiences.

Crisis Planning/Preparation

• Children's Ministry offers information on Critical Lockdown Procedures.
  
• The U.S. Department of Education offers information on Emergency Planning.

Promote Congregational Safety

• Protecting Your Church from Crime and Violence. Regular price: $17.95. Sale price: $14.95. Nine chapters. Particularly recommended: "A Shooter in the House—A Police Officer's Advice on How to Prevent and React to, a Gunman at Church." The entire document is 24 pages long.
  
• Confronting Gun Violence at Church. Regular price: $17.95. Nine chapters. Particularly recommended: "Should Our Church Have an Armed Security Guard?" The entire document is 22 pages long.