In the wake of 17 kids killed in a South Florida high school this week, many people are calling for mental health awareness.
One of them is a local man who went to both Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Both are among the deadliest school shootings in our country’s history.
In response, this former student is on a mission to change a sickening culture where shootings are becoming a trend.
When Spencer Montgomery learned of Wednesday’s shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida he thought, "Not again."
“I couldn’t believe it. When I heard it was Stoneman Douglas High School, I was like, 'How it that possible?” he said.
The images of frantic parents searching for their children and classmates holding one another at his high school alma mater were too familiar. They reminded him of the 26 people killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School six years ago, where ironically he went to school as well.
“I couldn’t believe it, so I went on Facebook and I just kind of vented,” he said.
In frustration, he created a Facebook post challenging people to help create a positive change.
“I posted it last night and it turned into something I never imagined. It shows you the good in society,” he said.
In less than a day hundreds of people offered to help, starting a new effort called The Real Impact Project.
“I’m offering people $5 Starbucks gift cards. We can have coffee over Skype just to talk about who are the people in the room that need to make a change and I’m all about creating action plans.”
Over the next 90 days, he plans on meeting with four to six mental health professionals per day.
“I don’t expect to have anything tangible in 90 days. What I expect is to create a movement. I want to create a consortium of people who just want to make a difference and an impact and then get those people in the right positions to make a difference,” Montgomery said.
If you’d like to join in on Montgomery’s efforts for change with The Real Impact Project, visit the project's Facebook page.
