Find the Helpers, Fred Guttenberg
Find the Helpers, Fred Guttenberg
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Find the Helpers
What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope

Author: Fred Guttenberg, Bradley Whitford

Narrator: William Sarris

Unabridged: 4 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/23/2021


Synopsis

Fred Guttenberg loved watching Mr. Rogers with his daughter and son when they were little. Their favorite wisdom was: In the midst of tragedy and catastrophe, find the helpers. "Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers. Because if you look for the helpers, you'll know there's hope." —Fred Rogers, 1999.

Life changed forever on Valentine's Day 2018. Thirty-four people were shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Jaime Guttenberg, a fourteen-year-old with a huge heart, was the second to last victim. That she and so many of her fellow students were struck down in cold blood galvanized many to action, including Jaime's father, Fred, who has become an activist dedicated to passing common sense gun safety legislation.

This book is not about gun safety or Parkland. Instead, it tells the story of Fred Guttenberg's journey since Jaime's death and how he has been able to get through the worst of times thanks to the kindness and compassion of others. Good things happen to good people at the hands of other good people—and the world is filled with them. They include everyone from amazing gun violence survivors Fred has met around the country to former VP Joe Biden, who spent time talking to him about finding mission and purpose in learning to grieve.

About Fred Guttenberg

Fred Guttenberg began his public life after the murder of his beautiful fourteen-year-old daughter Jaime in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting on February 14, 2018. The day after the murder, Fred decided to attend a public vigil. While there, the mayor asked him to speak. His words shook a nation and he has not stopped since. Only four months prior to the murder of his daughter, Fred's brother Michael passed away in October 2017 from cancer related to his service in 9/11 in New York City. He was one of the original first responders at the World Trade Center with a team of doctors who got trapped in the WTC as it collapsed. Amazingly, the room that they hid out in did not collapse, and Michael and his team of physicians spent sixteen days at ground zero taking care of others. Following his involvement in these two distinctly American tragedies, Fred has traveled the country talking about both events but also talking about perspective, perseverance, and resilience. He discusses pivotal moments in our lives and how we respond to those moments, using his speech to inspire others. Prior to these events, Fred Guttenberg's professional life included over a decade in sales and management with Johnson & Johnson, followed by almost fifteen years as an entrepreneur, having built a business including nineteen Dunkin Donuts. Fred and his wife Jennifer now spend time challenging elected officials to do more. They began a nonprofit organization dedicated to Jaime's life called "Orange Ribbons for Jaime." He has been a regular on TV news programs and myriad online and print media. The nonprofit is now his full-time mission.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Amie's Book on October 17, 2020

FIND THE HELPERS is a book that never should have had to be written. What I mean is that Fred Guttenberg should never have had to lose his daughter in a "school shooting." His daughter, Jaime, should be at home right now thinking about her life goals, competing in dance competitions, and giggling wi......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on October 11, 2020

Fred Guttenberg lost his daughter, Jamie, on Valentine's Day of 2018 in the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida. I was not aware of the situation that took his brother's life just months earlier. Fred is a major player in the fight to change gun laws. I am a teacher in a school just a mile fro......more

Goodreads review by Nelda on March 03, 2024

This is a heartbreaking story about the author and his family's loss on the day of the Parkland High School shooting in Florida, Feb. 14, 2018. It focuses on the helpers who came into their lives when Fred Guttenberg lost his brother Michael to eventual cancer from the carcinogens he had inhaled as......more

Goodreads review by Isabelle on March 27, 2024

Wow. This book blew me away. It was so heart wrenching to listen to and never before have I cried so much during one single book. This is the story of a man who has lost a brother to the consequences of 9-11 and a daughter to a school shooting, and what he has done with his life since. It shows his......more