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Study Hall from School News Network
Touched by gun violence tragedies, social worker educates families to safely store their guns
As parents and educators grapple with the ongoing problem of gun violence in schools, ensuring safe storage of guns at home has become a prime focus of averting tragic shootings by young people. Eunice Benavidez, a social worker for Kelloggsville Public Schools, has launched a district-supported initiative to educate parents about safe gun storage in compliance with Michigan law. A volunteer for the Be SMART gun safety organization, she helps parents obtain gun locks and spreads the word that shootings are the leading cause of death for children and teens. We talk with Benavidez to see how well the initiative is going since its implementation earlier this year.
Be SMART offers free community presentations about secure firearm storage. To request a presentation in Kent County, email BeSmartGrandRapids@gmail.com. Elsewhere in Michigan, email BeSmartMichigan@gmail.com.
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Well, hello everyone and welcome to Study Hall. From School News Network.
Speaker 1:We're here to open a window into the public schools of Kent County to talk about the little miracles of learning that happen in those schools every day, as well as the many challenges faced by students and teachers alike. I'm joined, as always, by Max Wickland, our engineer extraordinaire. Good day, max. Hello. And we're here today at Kelloggsville High School in Wyoming to talk with someone who has launched an ambitious program to help keep students safe from gun violence.
Speaker 1:Eunice Benavidez is a social worker for Kellogsville Public Schools. Earlier this year, eunice proposed a district-wide initiative to promote safe gun storage among the families of Kellogsville students. The Kellogsville Board of Education agreed it was a great idea and approved the program in May. This is Eunice's seventh school year as a social worker at Kellogsville. In addition to leading the secure storage initiative, she provides school social work services to students with disabilities and helps their families connect to community resources. She currently serves at Southeast Kellogsville Elementary and Kellogsville Early Childhood Learning Center. She's also part of the district's crisis team, so when there is a crisis or emergency that impacts the school community, the crisis team provides support to staff and students. Prior to this, she worked as a home-based therapist in Kent School Services Network, clinician and parent coach. She is a volunteer with the Be Smart Gun Safety Organization, is a Be Smart co-leader for Michigan and a national trainer for Be Smart in Spanish.
Speaker 1:We'll touch on Be Smart a little bit later. This is an issue that has touched her personally, as you will hear, and she was featured in a People magazine article over the summer and also on a news crew program from Spain that recently went on air, a documentary about victims of gun violence. Eunice was born in the Dominican Republic and her family migrated to the United States when she was three. They moved from New York City to Grand Rapids where she graduated from Godwin Heights High School class of 2005. She completed her undergrad degree and master's at Grand Valley State University. Eunice is married and has three school-age kids. So welcome, eunice, and thank you so much for making time for us in your busy schedule and sharing about your work in helping keep Kelloggsville children and teens safe from harm.
Speaker 2:Hi Charlie, and thank you, max, for having me. I appreciate the invitation to chat with you guys today.
Speaker 1:So happy to have you here. So gun violence and easy access to guns by children and teenagers it's a problem all too familiar to communities in the US and here in West Michigan. It has resulted in terrible tragedies in our schools and worrisome incidents of young children bringing guns from their homes to school. Some sobering statistics for you. Some sobering statistics for you. According to a recently released study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, gun deaths among children ages 1 to 17 in the US have increased by 106 percent since 2013 and have been the leading cause of death among young people in this age group since 2020, the leading cause of death In 2022, there were 2,526 gun deaths among 1 to 17-year-olds, averaging nearly 7 per day. This includes unintentional shootings, shootings by police, suicides and homicides.
Speaker 1:According to the Be Smart Gun Safety Organization, 4.6 million children live in a home with at least one loaded unsecured gun. About 350 children a year under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. More than 700 children every year die by gun suicide. Now, this is a uniquely American problem. In no other similarly large, wealthy country are firearms in the top four causes of death for children and teens, let alone the number one cause. So, Eunice, you proposed this gun safety storage initiative to the district and the school board adopted it in May. Tell us what prompted you to launch this pretty major undertaking.
Speaker 2:There are so many reasons why I wanted to bring this initiative to Kellogg'sville, one of them being just caring for the safety of our students in our community and just being part of the crisis team. Whenever I would check the news and hear things about something happening like I always think, you know, I hope it's not one of our students and I don't want it to be any student in any community, but just part of that, you know, keeping our students safe and helping to prevent tragedies before they can even take place, and being able to share this information, with our secure storage initiative, with families so that they have the knowledge to keep their kids safe, because there are things that non-gun owners and gun owners can do to keep their children safe from gun violence. And I just value that important role that the school has in the community to be educators and to be advocates for our students and their safety and well-being.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll get to some of the particulars of that in a minute here. Yeah, we'll get to some of the particulars of that in a minute here. I did want to note that Michigan implemented a secure storage law which took effect in February and, quoting from the law, requires individuals to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container if it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present on the premises. The penalties range from all the way from a $500 fine and or 93 days if a child possesses or shows a weapon in a threatening way in a public setting on up to 10,000 or 15 years in prison if it results in a death. So that law is on the books, has been on the books. Are you just helping in the district, just helping parents to comply with the law as it exists and helping to educate them about it?
Speaker 2:I think definitely that is part of the mission is to educate parents and the community members about this new law, because if they don't know about it, then you know they won't know that there's penalties and things involved, but above all, just the responsibility falls on the adult to always make sure that their firearms are secured and out of reach of children that may find them. So yeah, that's definitely part of the mission is to educate people about the importance of secure gun storage and also about this policy. How does it work?
Speaker 1:What are the specifics of it? What is it that you're wanting families to do, and how are you helping them to do that?
Speaker 2:Well, the whole premise of the Be Smart program. We have five letters for smart and what they stand for. So there are five simple steps that we can all follow to keep our kids safe. So, securing all guns in our homes and vehicles, that's the S. And then modeling responsible behaviors around guns. You know that can include talking to your kids about you know what they do if they find a gun at home or school or a friend's house. You know, don't touch it, go get a grown-up and things like that. And always remembering that it's just a precaution when we have these conversations with our kids.
Speaker 2:They are kids and they may still, you know, want to handle a gun if they see it.
Speaker 2:It's always the adult's responsibility to do the first step, you know, to secure the gun in the first place.
Speaker 2:And then A, which is ask about the presence of guns in other homes and vehicles your child may visit. So, even if they're going to get a ride someplace, if they're going for a birthday party at a friend's house or a sleepover and I like to remind parents too, like if you have an older kid that's going to babysit in someone's house or house sit or dog sit or whatever, like that's an important question for us to ask and are recognizing the role of guns in suicides, because easy access to this is the most lethal way of harming oneself. We want to make sure that our kids, in a moment of crisis and we hear a lot about crisis that are happening with social media and bullying and depression and when kids are being threatened and extorted online, well, we don't want to have those kids going through crisis, have easy access to weapons and then the T of be smart is just telling others about be smart. Tell your neighbors, tell your friends, just normalize having this important conversation about gun safety and taking these important steps.
Speaker 1:So those are really good basic things to keep in mind when it comes to this. I guess we can call it a policy or a program in Kelloggsville. I guess we can call it a policy or a program in Kelloggsville. Specifically, you're asking what that. Parents who have guns at home keep them in safe storage, and what does that mean exactly?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So safe storage means that the gun or firearm is unloaded, it is locked and stored separately from ammunition, out of reach of kids. So those things are the basic things would be the gold standard to have the gun locked, unloaded, separate from ammunition and out of reach of the child. That's what we want to inform our families and our community members to securely store their firearms. Hiding it under a bed or in a drawer or in the closet, somewhere in a shoe box? That's not secure storage. In the glove compartment in your car, that's not secure storage. It needs to be locked because kids are curious and we know this as parents.
Speaker 2:If you hide a candy bar or if you're hiding Christmas presents, your curious kids will find it. You know they're good at that. You know they're just being kids. So it's always the adult's responsibility and not the child from handling a gun. And another thing that we've implemented here in Kellogg's Ville you know we have passed that secure storage resolution through the board. We are sharing this information on newsletters, also on our social media pages. We have included a secure storage letter in our registration packet that every year and every student, whether they're a new student or returning student now their parents need to like read through this form and acknowledge it and get a refresher about this important step to keeping their child safe. So we have that, and we also have a really awesome landing page on our website for secure storage where people can learn more about these simple steps.
Speaker 1:And, as I understand it, you are furnishing parents who need or want them with gun locks free of charge, correct?
Speaker 2:Yes, we have gun locks available free to our families here in Kellogg'sville and they are now available at every Kellogg'sville location, from our central office to every elementary school, even our alternative high school, 54th Academy. We have gun locks available for anyone who needs them free of charge and we were able to get these gun locks through the Wyoming Police Department, through our resource officer, like right away.
Speaker 1:Do you have any idea, or is there any way of knowing how many of these gun locks have been actually issued to families in the district?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, there is a way to know. We're keeping track. We've given out several. We just started with this initiative in May, so we're just kind of like getting things running. I would say close to 20 maybe that we've given out. So we had a community celebration, I believe in September, where we gave out some gun locks there. We gave out some gun locks at our registration event and just informing parents that they're available at the school, so we've given out a few that way as well.
Speaker 1:Now, are there any ways in which you have talked to parents or students personally about this, or is it coming more through the kind of means you indicated, through the newsletter and so forth?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, we've done both things. So, like at the community celebration, we had a table there sharing information and resources, Like we have literature and stuff for families about Be Smart and what that means and also at the registration events. So having those conversations with families like, hey, do you know about Be Smart? This is what it means. Do you need a free gun lock? So yeah, we've been having both you know conversations when we have those type of events.
Speaker 1:Yeah, have you gotten any pushback at all or any objections to the policy from?
Speaker 2:Not that I am aware. The parents and families that we've spoken at and given gun locks to they've been very open and receptive and very appreciative.
Speaker 2:Some of them are not aware of the new gun law that we have here in Michigan, which, you know, just kind of fuels me more Like how can we get this word out so that parents and community members know that this law exists?
Speaker 2:And sometimes I do get some people that say, oh well, we don't own any guns, there's no guns in our home and our kids don't go to any sleepovers in other people's homes. So I just, you know, remind them about, you know, having the conversations with their kids about what would you do and what should you do if you see a gun at school or anywhere else in the community. And also I like to remind them that, as adults, when we go to families' houses and for parties and holidays and things like that, a lot of times we just leave the kids in their own room to play or they kind of, you know, go up and down the house and they're kind of left on their own while the adults have adult conversations. So it's still important to ask these questions, even when we're in the home of a family or a friend with our kids, just because we might not be keeping a close eye on them.
Speaker 1:For sure. It makes a lot of sense and you never know when, randomly, your child might just come into contact with a gun that's available in somebody else's house, right, yeah, so, as we mentioned, this has touched you personally. You've been featured in some programming and stories about your personal experience. I know it's a difficult topic for you and forgive me for bringing hurts to the surface, but can you tell us a little bit about your personal experience with gun violence and how that's motivated you here?
Speaker 2:Yes, so, as you mentioned, my family came from the Dominican Republic. When I was three years old, we lived in New York for several years. Unfortunately, you know, not too long after we arrived, my father, alejandro, was 42 years old when he was shot and killed in a robbery. He was a taxi driver at that time and that was my family's first experience with gun violence here in the United States. So you can imagine a newcomer not really knowing the language, and just you know how my mom had to struggle through that with three young kids and she's, you know I'm thankful for her. She's a fighter, a strong woman and has done so much for us.
Speaker 2:Then, several years later, we moved to Michigan, right around when I was like fifth grade, and by that time I was older, I was 13. And then my brother, alejandro Jr, was 14 when he went to a sleepover with his friends his best friend, at one of their family members house and tragically, he was shot and killed at that sleepover with an unsecured gun that the adults had left just sitting on a table where they were playing. They didn't think it was loaded, so it was left unattended and you know that happened. My brother's best friend fatally shot him with that gun. So for me it does hit close to home and, even if we share this information, only one life is spared and protected.
Speaker 2:Like to me, that's worth it because it doesn't just impact the family, it impacts the school, it impacts the whole community and it it's something that stays with you forever. So it's preventing trauma, you know, from occurring and that's why I'm glad that I was connected with the Be Smart program, because it's something that even as an adult, I didn't realize. Oh, I can ask this question, like it's okay for me to talk about this with other people, so I don't have to just be like overprotective of my kids, like I can just make this part of my normal conversation with other families and friends and allow my child and my kids to be kids and visit people's homes and as they should you know, they shouldn't have to worry about this and just helping other parents too to normalize this conversation because, as you mentioned, there are a lot of homes with children that they have guns, unsecured.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm so sorry and that I'm sure that pain is with you all the time. Is it at all healing, or does it address the pain at all to know that you're in this effort to keep that terrible thing that happened to your brother from happening to other?
Speaker 2:kids of my healing journey. Just to be able to share my story and raise awareness and educate family and community members about this important issue that gun violence is the number one cause of death of children and there are simple things that we can do to prevent these tragedies from happening like that has been really impactful for me and being able to reclaim my narrative and use my story to help others has been meaningful.
Speaker 1:So you mentioned Be Smart a couple of times. Tell us more about Be Smart and I understand you're part of the Everytown Survivor Network as well. What are those groups and what's your involvement with them exactly?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So Be Smart is an educational campaign that just seeks to educate adults and community members about the importance of secure gun storage in preventing tragedies like you mentioned gun suicides, unintentional shootings, you know even gun thefts, because if you're not securing your gun, it can get stolen and end up on the street for crimes. And also school shootings, because 76% of school shooters obtain their guns or firearms from their parents or a close relative. So that's the big mission of Be Smart. And then Everytown Survivor Network is a network of survivors of gun violence that they provide support to each other. And it's just you.
Speaker 2:We are a nation of survivors. You know 60% of people have some sort of impact, that they have felt it or have a loved one that has felt the impact of the different kinds of gun violence. And it's just a network that connects people to each other and to supports. So that's for adults and that has been very helpful for me to be able to have the tools to share my story. That was a big part of me, even being able to talk and share my story with you today. That was not possible.
Speaker 1:A few years ago Everytown. Didn't that come out of the Sandy Hook shooting? Was that the origin of that organization?
Speaker 2:The creator of.
Speaker 1:Everytown for gun safety. Yeah, I think all of those different events have fueled our efforts. Yeah, so, in this role of yours, you ended up meeting with President Biden and Jill Biden. What can you tell us? How did that come about, and what was that like?
Speaker 2:Well, very surprising, earlier this year those were two separate moments. Earlier this year, those were two separate moments. Earlier this year, in January, I was invited to the White House for a secure storage town hall and I was very surprised and, you know, obviously honored to be invited. But I was surprised when Dr Jill Biden mentioned my brother in her speech, mentioned my brother in her speech. So that was very impactful and meaningful for me. And then, several months later, this summer, I participated in a gun violence prevention conference and I was one of the very few people who were chosen to meet President Biden and shake his hand and that was also very impactful for me, just to think. You know from my journey coming to this country and having all these tragedies happening that by me sharing my story it's making a difference. Tragedies happening that by me sharing my story it's making a difference. And that same day I was also honored to receive an award for my advocacy work.
Speaker 1:Well done. Well done For all the pain that you've been through. You've produced a wonderful, wonderfully positive effort, and we are so appreciative of what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Thank you, that's my. It really does fuel me just to help others and to share this information, because we all and I can say this with certainty we all want our kids to grow up safe and happy and healthy. There's not an adult that will disagree with that, in my opinion, right. So this is just one way that we can keep them safe and I think we can all get behind just securely storing our firearms and keeping them safe.
Speaker 1:And as the mother of three, I'm sure that that's something you think about all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I send my kids to school and I want them to be safe there, and I also work at a school and I want myself and my colleagues to be safe here and I want the students who I work with and I love you know everyone here to be safe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, eunice, if listeners want to know more about the Be Smart program and how they can get involved with this issue, how can you direct them?
Speaker 2:they can get involved with this issue. How can you direct them? Yeah, so if anyone would like to learn more about Be Smart, they can text the word SMART S-M-A-R-T to 64433. They can also check out our website, which is besmartforkidsorg, and they can find resources there available to download in English and Spanish, and they can also translate the website in at least 10 other languages. And if anyone locally would like to learn more about Be Smart, they can email besmartgrandrepids at gmailcom.
Speaker 1:Well, eunice, we are so appreciative of the work that you're doing for good and safety for our kids. Thank you for sharing it with us, and we hope that many other people listening to this will be moved to take these actions for the good of their students, their kids. So thank you, eunice, and thanks to our listeners for being with us at study hall today. I hope you enjoyed the conversation, learned a few things, maybe got some work done, and it's been a pleasure to be with you. I look forward to joining you again soon on Study Hall, on the School News Network webpage or wherever you get your podcasts. So see you next time and don't forget your pencils.
