Organize an Event

Come Together with Soul Box Project Events

The Soul Box Project offers solace for individuals, communities and our entire nation as we grieve the daily loss of lives to gunfire. The calming, restorative activity of folding origami Soul Boxes and adding them to public exhibits  is an effective way to raise awareness by combining  art with activism.

Zoom session screen shot: 9 people hold up Boxes

An Event Can Be Simple:

  • Schedule time to show your book club, church group, or service league how to fold a Soul Box.
  • If you can’t yet meet in person, meet virtually.
  • Set a reachable number of Boxes for your group to fold. Data from GunViolenceArchive.org can help you set a goal that is meaningful for your city, state, or region.
  • Be aware that suicides comprise over half the U.S. gunfire deaths. Those names do not make the headlines, but you may well know someone who took their own life with a gun.

For Deeper Engagement:

  • Organize a day-long or weekend event.
  • Collaborate with other organizations in your city or state.
  • Be inclusive. Use this opportunity to build bridges.
  • To generate participation and publicity buzz for your event call attention to The Soul Box Project’s online exhibit.
  • Plan a panel discussion. Invite community leaders.
  • Schedule a reading of juried, 10-minute plays written by youth through EnoughPlays.com
  • During your event, include a Soul Box-making table where your attendees can honor someone they know killed or injured by gunfire.

Soul Box panels serve as a meaningful backdrop for press conferences, panel discussions, play readings, and concerts. Time-lapse video of set-up [0:30]

See more examples in our Past Highlights.

See more examples in our
Past Highlights.

Ideas and Tools for Meaningful Events

Download these resources to help you plan and carry out your event.

Involve Your Family and Friends

Folding together: Backyard gathering

Box-making gatherings not only introduce The Soul Box Project to groups, they provide a platform for healing by sharing experiences and hopes for a more civil society.

  • How to organize a Box-making gathering (check out our downloadable resources)
  • Folding Boxes can open dialogue about sensitive topics involving grief or race or politics. Above all, prepare to be respectful listeners.

Build Partnerships

Wear Orange, Portland, OR

The Soul Box Project gives you the opportunity to build bridges to adjacent communities who also care about this public health issue. Reach out to:

  • High school clubs and sports teams
  • Youth groups; service organizations
  • Mental health organizations
  • Arts centers
  • Retirement communities
  • Churches, temples, and mosques
  • Activist organizations like Moms Demand Action, March For Our Lives, Wear Orange, or unique local groups in your city

Film Screenings

illustration of couple grieving lost child from short film, "If Anything Happens I Love You"

Join Community Events

Think creatively about ways to introduce The Soul Box Project at community events.

  • Provide Box-making materials and guidance at fairs and gun-sense events.
  • Share the Project at conferences.
  • Staff a booth at farmers and craft markets, or even gun shows.
  • Set up a display with Box-making instructions and supplies in public spaces, such as libraries and community centers.

March with Soul Boxes

Soul Box Backpacks at Wear Orange event

These backpacks are very effective in marches and at community events.

  • A backpack of 100 Soul Boxes, representing the number of people shot in the U.S. every day weighs about 5 pounds.
  • View the backpack assembly video  and see our Resources page for a materials list.
  • Print and distribute our informational flyer (double-sided, half-sheet in English or Spanish) or your own business cards

Faith Communities

Sign board for Sunday Service with The Soul Box Project, First Baptist Church, Denver

Some of the most ardent supporters of The Soul Box Project are faith communities. Download this Toolkit.

  • Hold a “Soul Box Saturday/Sunday” each month, providing supplies and folding coaches during Fellowship Hour
  • Box-making gatherings can serve as a way to come together after a tragedy, such as a mass shooting. It provides a safe space to voice fears, anguish and confusion while taking thoughtful action.
  • What will you do with the Soul Boxes you make? Consider exhibiting Soul Boxes in your space: on a table in the lobby, in sanctuary window-wells, or along a hallway.

Contact us to help you plan your event or exhibit.

I got all stressed out about a small thing a little while ago. I noticed, stopped, folded a Soul Box and felt better. More centered, relaxed. – Nan, Portland Oregon