HAYWARD, Calif. (KRON) – As families, friends and communities continue to mourn the loss of the nine innocent victims who died in the VTA mass shooting last week, a group of people is putting chalkboards up around the Bay Area for people to write messages to show their support.
“Some people have written love, not hate, peace, we stand together, and a lot of encouraging messages about unity, too,” Michael Fujimoto said.
‘Let’s come together,’ ‘Stay strong,’ ‘Our hearts go out to you’ — Just some of the messages written on a chalkboard provided by Social Expressions, an organization that raises awareness of events happening in the Bay Area.
This time, the mass shooting at the Valley Transportation Authority rail yard last week.
“Just to be able to show support to the families and just help them see that we are here for them and we do remember those victims and everything that’s been happening,” Paola Perez said.
These are photos of chalkboards from the past few days.
People all over the Bay Area of all ages participated.
On Monday, a chalkboard sat just outside the Southland Mall in Hayward where positive, encouraging messages were written.
“Some of these simple things are sometimes the best,” Fujimoto said.
The idea is for people to share their thoughts, pass along messages of hope and healing, and provide relief to the families of the victims, and encourage solidarity in communities across California.
“Even in the littlest ways like sending messages just showing these small ways of support can help to bring even a slight comfort to these families so I hope that wherever we pop up next many others can come to help support too,” Perez said.
Be on the lookout for a chalkboard in your city.
Social Expressions has already been in Hayward and San Francisco and they plan to be in other Bay Area cities over the next couple of weeks.