BBLV: Positive and Effective Ways You Can Support Las Vegas in Time of Tragedy

This past week at The Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, our city experienced “the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.” A gunman took the lives of over fifty people and injured hundreds. In the wake of this tragedy, the world is coming together to support the victims, and you can too. From donations to volunteering, here’s a list of ways you can help support the Las Vegas victims of this tragic event.

Donations

There are many different ways to donate. You can: 1) Donate Money From donating to specific victim funds to a more general approach of supporting all victims, there are a ton of GoFundMe pages made to help fundraise. The official GoFundMe page for this event was made by Steven Sisolak, the Clark County Commission Chair of Las Vegas. In just three days, he’s already raised 9.2 million from close to 75,000 donors with his overall goal being 15 million. By donating, you know your money will be directly helping the victims gain the relief and financial efforts they need. Click HERE for more info. 2) Donate Food and Water You can donate water, canned goods, or non-perishable items to Three Square and Catholic Charities. Visit their sites for more information. 3) Donate Services Companies are donating their services to help support the victims of the tragedy. Lyft and Uber are providing complimentary rides to and from nearby hospitals and blood donation centers. Restaurants have been donating food to those who are supporting or volunteering to support the victims at places like blood banks and volunteer centers. They’ve even created events to hand out free food to the victims and first responders, as well as donated to hospitals and salvation armies. Hopefully this helps give you a few ideas.  4) Donate Blood Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman couldn’t stress enough the urgency for donations, especially blood donations. Help the victims by donating blood to blood banks. Below are a list of locations where you can donate. With an outpouring of donors, there are large wait times at the centers. We recommend calling to schedule your appointment in advance. (Click image to enlarge)

Speak Out

Here are some ways you can speak out. 1) Sending a card The city of Las Vegas has started an initiative they call #Hearts4Vegas. To help the victims heal, they’re asking for heartfelt messages sent to City Hall. Write a message and help lift the spirits of the victims of this tragedy and send to the address below. C/O City Hall 495 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89101 2) Taking Action with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence You can both join the cause and tweet to your representative. On their website, they have a template where you can select your senator by state and name, as well as tweet at them. You could also use your social media handles or call your local representative to reject the Graham Cassidy Bill today! For more information, visit CSGV.

Trauma Relief

With trauma relief you can: 1) Volunteer You can volunteer if you’re a certified trauma counselor with different counseling services. The Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective are accepting volunteers to help with trauma relief efforts. Volunteer today! For more information visit their website or in-person at: Circus Circus Ballroom D at 2880 S. Las Vegas Boulevard 2) Raise awareness of resources for victims The Nevada Psychological Association has set up an informational page to educate victims during this tragedy. It outlines ways to communicate with children about the tragedy, gun violence initiatives, crisis counseling services, and reduced or free psychological services. They’ve compiled a list of articles and contact information to help the victims educate themselves, their children, and receive the help they need. For more information, visit THIS link. There’s also a hotline for victims looking to locate or report missing family members, and the phone number is: 1-800-536-9488. You can also spread the word about the various counseling services provided for the victims. The UNLV School of Medicine Crisis Counseling provides a variety of trauma relief, with on-site psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. It’s private, free, and doesn’t require insurance. To schedule an appointment, call: 1-702-253-0818. The Right Society and The Las Vegas Radical Mental Health Collective also made seeking help more approachable by providing a real, human connection. They create an open, accepting atmosphere and follow up in the future weeks and months. More information available HERE. For a full comprehensive list of resources, visit the Nevada Psychological Association website. Remember that no act of goodness is too small. Take initiative and join us in supporting the Las Vegas victims today!