Here's How You Can Help The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Victims After The Tragedy
On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 27, a fatal shooting occurred at the Tree Of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even though the lives of the victims and their families are completely changed forever, you can still do your part to provide aid. So if you're currently wondering how you can show your support for the cause, here's how to help the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims. You'll definitely be happy you did.
Don't get me wrong — raising awareness about gun issues by urging people to vote and expressing condolences via social media is extremely important. But, actually putting in effort to help out the victims and their families is another great way to help those immediately affected. If you don't happen to have the funds to donate any money, though, there are so many other ways to help. From donating blood, to showing up in solidarity to mourn those who lost their lives, you're can find a way to help that best fits your situation. If you want to show your support for those who lost their lives and those who were affected by the shooting, here's how you can help.
Donate Money
Whether you have $20 or $200 to spare, donating is a really fantastic way to help the victims of the shooting. The money goes to those who were affected as well as the victim's families, and, of course, to the Tree of Life synagogue. Iranian International Studies student, Shay Khatiri, created a GoFundMe page on Saturday, Oct. 27, just after the shooting — and it's already raised over $140,000 from 2,735 donations, according to INSIDER. There's also a verified GoFundMe to support the survivors and victims, which the fundraising platform posted on Twitter. If you can afford to give a little extra cash, definitely consider donating. It's an extremely important cause that could help out several different people in need.
Donate Blood
If you're eligible to donate blood, there are several injured victims that could definitely use some. According to WPXI, Vitalant donation centers are mostly looking for O-positive, O-negative, and platelet donations, but regardless, a little goes a long way, and anything helps.
If you can, try and make your way to a Vitalant donation center in the Pittsburgh area. It'll help tremendously.
Attend A Vigil
On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 27, New York City residents held a Havdallah Vigil in Union Square, to mourn those who lost their lives in the shooting. If you weren't able to go to that one in particular, however, there will hopefully be many more to come. In Madison, Wisconsin, local Jewish leaders will hold the "Madison Vigil for Grief and Interfaith Solidarity" on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at First Unitarian Society on University Bay Drive, per Channel 3000.com. You can also take a look at what's going on in your area.
There are several ways to help the victims and families affected by Saturday's shooting. If the shooting has you feeling helpless, there are so many ways to get involved with the cause. Whether you decide to donate money, blood, or your time to attend a vigil is totally up to you — anything you can do will be appreciated.
