I'm a big fan of the work that's being done within the Second Amendment community to improve mental health and prevent suicides; not through new gun control laws or efforts that infringe on our right to keep and bear arms, but through targeted strategies designed to help those who are in crisis or have family members struggling with mental health. It's a much better approach to saving lives than "red flag" laws or storage mandates, even if it doesn't get nearly the amount of press attention that gun control advocates receive for their rights-restricting efforts. 

Hold My Guns is one of the groups that's doing truly invaluable work. I was thrilled when I heard from founder Sarah Joy Albrecht this week that the organization has a brand new partner ready and willing to temporarily store firearms for those in need. Shot Tec, LLC is located in the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd, and owner Grant Schmidt says it will provide "by-appointment-only customer service for a safe, convenient, legal way for individuals to store firearms and ammunition" without judgment or a third-degree grilling. 

If Schmidt's name sounds familiar to you, it might be because he partnered with the Second Amendment Foundation last year to sue the commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Montgomery County sheriff over the sheriff's policy of inspecting gun shops without a warrant. Just a week after that lawsuit was filed, a judge ordered a stay of that policy, and so far Sheriff Sean Kilkenny has complied with that edict. 

Hold My Guns isn't some astroturf gun control group disguising itself as a pro-2A organization, in other words. Albrecht and her partners are staunch defenders of the right to keep and bear arms, and their goal is to simply give gun owners an option when they feel it best to temporarily remove their guns from their homes. It might be a mental health crisis that leads someone to Hold My Guns, but even a family vacation or deployment is reason enough for some folks to want to know that their guns are safely stored while they're not going to be around for an extended period of time. 

Albrecht says that the group's approach is "grounded in respect for personal agency and self-determination, offering an alternative to legislative measures that may unintentionally stigmatize or criminalize gun owners," adding that the organization "believe[s] in the power of community-based solutions and the positive impact they have on society."

She's hoping that Pennsylvania gun owners, as well as first responders, mental health professionals, and veterans service organizations will help spread the word about Shot Tec's involvement in the program, as well as existing partners like Allegheny Arms & Gun Works in Pittsburgh. 

While Albrecht and Hold My Guns are Pennsylvania-based, the group has already teamed up with FFLs in eight states, and she's hoping to have 40 gun shops participating from coast to coast by the end of the year. We can all help her achieve that goal by talking to the folks behind the counter of our own local gun stores and encouraging them to reach out to Hold My Guns to learn more about becoming a partner in the organization's life-saving and life-changing efforts to reduce suicide without adding to the voluminous number of worthless gun control laws that are already on the books.