We are here for you ❤️

Cadena Familia,

As we worked on a marketing campaign that was scheduled to go out today, we stopped in our tracks. We could not do it. We could not bring ourselves to hit send. While this is our livelihood and we want to show you all of our beautiful products, it’s not the time. Instead, we feel the need to pause and talk about what is happening. More importantly, we want to create the space to honor the lives lost, to acknowledge our own feelings of grief and to check in on one another.

If you’ve been with us for some time, you know that Cadena is more than a marketplace. It’s a space where we can connect with and support you. With that being said, we have put together a few resources to help us all move forward the best way possible. If you feel compelled to do any or all of the following, know that you will be making a difference in putting a stop to gun violence. Here are some resources:

• Help the families of the victims through their verified GoFund Me
   

• Donate blood across the nation. Having blood supply in stock is extremely important.
   
• Contact your federal and state legislators to make sure they support responsible gun legislation. You can find who represents you here.
   
• Join Everytown for Gun Safety and get involved in ending gun violence by texting ACT to 64433.

We could not help but to see ourselves in the images of the 19 killed in Uvalde on Tuesday. As a predominately Hispanic and working class community, it is painful to watch the news reports of parents who were looking for their children. It is painful to think that many might have been immigrants who came to the United Sates in search of opportunities for their children only to find a tragic death for them. This is a betrayal from a country that had promised opportunity for them.

The lost lives of Uvalde, last week’s Black victims of Buffalo, the Asian victims in Laguna Woods and the hundreds of shootings that have occurred this year must not be dismissed as inevitable. Fight back. Push back. Demand the country we all deserve.

As for us, we are here for you in any capacity. Feel free to reach out if you need a safe space to talk.

- Ale & May