Pressroom

Dearest Friends,

I wanted to thank you – from the bottom of my heart – and tell you how much I appreciate your support and investment in Beyond Differences all these years. None of our success would have been possible without you.

Ace and I are excited to share some big news! After 14 years, we are in the process of merging with Sandy Hook Promise, one of the largest and most prestigious nonprofit organizations in our country, working tirelessly to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities.

This partnership unites two youth-centered, national organizations with aligned missions and complementary strengths – a win-win for children across the country.

We could not be more gratified that Beyond Differences’ name and programs, founded in memory of our daughter Lili Rachel Smith, will not just live on, but expand to an even larger national stage that will reach millions more children.

For all these years, you have been rooting for us to succeed and grow. You have been reading about our programs, spreading our mission, and always showing up when we needed you.

It has been an honor to serve as executive director and co-founder.

As I transition away from my day-to-day responsibilities, I will remain committed to supporting Sandy Hook Promise, the new “parent” organization of Beyond Differences, and that includes finding ways to introduce you to their leadership, their staff, and their programs.

The arrangement we’ve worked out for the merger is perfect and beyond anything we could have hoped for! Sandy Hook Promise will incorporate Beyond Differences’ robust curriculum, our professional development classes for teachers, our full-time staff, our beloved youth leadership cohort known as the National Teen Board, and all our signature campaigns, including our most popular, No One Eats Alone® Day, into their suite of programs.

The merger represents our shared belief that preventing gun violence and self-harm begins by fostering connection and supporting mental health and well-being.

As I write this, I feel as if Lili is sitting right next to me offering her warmth and strength as we embark upon this next chapter. I’d like to think she would be proud of what we have accomplished.

Our lives have been further blessed by our son, Abram, and his wife Aine, who have given us two grandchildren whose laughter and toys fill our home. While they will never meet their Aunt Lili, they know her through stories and photos. They have heard about her belly laugh, her warm delicious hugs, and her unyielding loyalty to those she loved. It brings me comfort to know that Lili’s legacy will live on and continue to be the guiding light for all of our programs through Sandy Hook Promise.

I know and believe in Nicole Hockley, CEO and co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise. I know she will carry on caring about all the programs we have created at Beyond Differences. In fact, Nicole and I have been friends for many years, meeting soon after her precious son was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School and, perhaps, this is why the merging of our organizations feels so rich, so right, and so important.

Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. None of this would have been possible without you.

If you have any questions or would just like to say “hey,” please reach out to me at lauratalmus@beyonddifferences.org. Our website and my email address are still up and running and will not be going away any time soon.

This is just the beginning of Beyond Differences’ new chapter; not the end of our organization!

With heartfelt gratitude,

Laura Talmus
Executive Director and Co-founder