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Update: The California-based nonprofit Route91Strong reported delivering more than $220,000 to help more than 150 survivor family members over 20 months. In June 2019, the Las Vegas Victims Fund changed hands to be administered by the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center. The center says survivor applicants now can qualify for up to four payments totaling $2,000 over a two-year span to cover basic needs like groceries, transportation, moving costs, rent and utilities.
The Las Vegas Victims Fund was established to provide assistance to victims and survivors of the horrific shooting that took place in the city on October 1, 2017. 58 people were killed, and 546 injured, by a single gunman that evening—the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
A draft protocol for the distribution of the funds has been developed by the Las Vegas Victims Fund committee. They will be accepting public input on this draft protocol until December 8th, and plan to start distributing funds to victims and survivors on March 5, 2018. The funds originate from a GoFundMe Victims’ Fund established by Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak and Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, the National Compassion Fund, the Direct Impact Fund, and other fundraising efforts.
There are two serious issues that need to be addressed, however:
1) Funds will be distributed to families of the decedents and individuals who were physically injured and admitted to a hospital, but not to other survivors of the shooting.
2) It is unclear whether the entirety of the funds will be distributed directly to victims and survivors. Some of the funds have been channeled through nonprofits and other entities that could take their own cut or provide services that are not helpful to victims and survivors with immediate financial needs. For that reason, all of the funds should be channeled into the National Compassion Fund. The NCF guarantees that 100% of the funds they receive will go directly to the victims and survivors.
Please contact the Las Vegas Victims Fund committee through one of the channels below and give them the following message:
Dear Chairman Scott Nielsen and members of the Las Vegas Victims Fund committee, I write you today to provide two important pieces of feedback regarding your draft protocol. First, please change your eligibility criteria to include ALL survivors of the shooting, including those who were not physically injured and hospitalized. The emotional trauma and PTSD these survivors are dealing with right now is staggering. Many are still unable to go to work and in serious financial duress. They need your assistance every bit as much as the survivors of the deceased and those recovering from physical wounds. Second, please ensure that all the funding managed by the committee is channeled into the National Compassion Fund. The NCF guarantees that 100% of the funds they receive will go directly to the victims and survivors. No one understands their immediate needs better than the survivors and their families. Thank you for serving on the committee and doing your part to help after this unspeakable tragedy.
Las Vegas Victims Fund committee
Phone: (702) 526-1822
Email: comments@lasvegasvictimsfund.org
Once you have contacted the committee, click the orange banner below to report taking action!