The City of Milford recently signed a Charter for Compassion to honor Maren Sanchez, the Jonathan Law High School student stabbed to death at her school in April. Now the local business community has a chance to take that charter one step further.
Milford officials signed the Charter for Compassion in September, pledging to promote kindness and caring.
The Charter for Compassion and the idea for cities of compassion started fairly recently, after the tragic school shootings in Newtown.
Milford resident Jade Ramos, 26, brought the charter to Milford after hearing one of its founders speak about it. Donna Cimarelli, Maren Sanchez' mother, worked with Ramos and several others to encourage Milford to sign onto the effort.
“The Charter for Compassion goes beyond personal differences,” said Wendy Gibbons of the Milford Prevention Council in a press release that she and Ramos sent to the media Friday. “The charter encourages the Golden Rule, treating all others as we wish to be treated — with justice, equity and respect."
Now, the businesses
Gibbons and Ramos said that now local businesses will have the opportunity to apply to become “A Milford Business of Compassion” and may participate by doing random acts of compassion.
“It can be anything from making sure everyone is greeted with a smile to picking up a lunch tab in their restaurant,” Gibbons and Ramos said in their press release.
The supporting businesses will receive a window sign stating that they are “Committed to Compassion in Milford.”
Saturday, Oct. 25 is the kick off for the Business of Compassion campaign. Organizers of the campaign said the day marks six months since Maren Sanchez died, and in honor of a life spent caring about others, Papa’s Pizza will be the first business making a commitment to compassion. Papa’s Pizza created the Pizza Di Maren and will donate $5 of every Pizza Di Maren ordered to the Maren Sanchez Scholarship Fund.
Other businesses that have signed on to become a Milford Business of Compassion are GE Credit Union, Flip Hair Salon, Napoli Nissan and Unity Massage.
For further information contact Wendy Gibbons at info@milfordprevention.org or call 203-783-6676, or contact Jade Ramos at milford.compassion@yahoo.com.