CeaseFire Halifax creates Project Comfort to help with shooting-related grief

A Halifax-area group that aims to end gun violence is now offering blankets to comfort friends, family and neighbours affected by shootings.

Project Comfort is a new initiative of CeaseFire Halifax, which has enlisted the help of volunteers to make personalized blankets that commemorate victims of gun violence.

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The programofficially launches Sunday at the North End Dartmouth Community Centre on Highfield Park Drive at 2 p.m.

Amanda Bradshaw, a community mobilizer with CeaseFire Halifax, said an underlying theme at their community meetings has been how to reach out to people affected by the tragedies, who are grieving the losses of loved ones.

A young member of the group,CheyenneHardy, came up with the idea.

The 15-year-old and her mother, who's also a member of the group, said they had already been making blankets for people in the hospital for some years.

"It brought them comfort so I thought it'd be a good idea to make these and give that same comfort to people that lost their loved ones due to violence," she said.

'Beautiful moment'

The group has already given away one blanket to a woman who lived in Uniacke Square and was leaving Nova Scotia. She had lost a family member and a friend to gun violence in a short amount of time.

They quickly made a blanket for her, personalized with the initials of the family memberand got it to her before she left the province.

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"It was very well received," Bradshawsaid. "Tears were shedand hugs were had. It was a beautiful moment."

There are plans toextend the project to North Preston, Uniacke Square and Mulgrave Park.

Sunday's event includes blanket making, food and entertainment, including a performance by singer Keonte Beals.