LAS VEGAS, NV, OCTOBER 11, 2017 — The joint-agency Family Assistance Center at the Las Vegas Convention Center offers one-stop service for survivors, families of the deceased, concertgoers, and members of the Las Vegas community who were affected by the tragic shooting on October 1.

“You don’t have to be physically injured to come to the Family Assistance Center,” Clark County Emergency Manager John Steinbeck said.  “Anyone affected can find benefit by coming.”

Until October 20, concertgoers can retrieve personal effects they abandoned at the concert site from the Family Assistance Center.  Concertgoers who have returned to their homes in other states or countries can have their belongings mailed to them by going to the FBI website: www.fbi.gov/lvmusicfestivalshooting.

The center has nearly two dozen government agencies and non-profit organizations who are helping people along the road to recovery.  Red Cross mental health professionals and spiritual caregivers are offering emotional support to all who come to the center.  The Red Cross also has health workers who can attend to medical needs at the center and caseworkers who try to determine unmet needs and assist people in longer-term recovery.

According to Tara Hughes, Red Cross Family Assistance Center Lead and an experienced Red Cross volunteer, helping people build resiliency is the goal of the Family Assistance Center.  “We realize their lives won’t ever be the same, so we’re helping them today to make it easier as they move forward.”

Highlights of Red Cross Response to the October 1 Shooting

Immediately after the tragic shooting on October 1, Southern Nevada Red Cross volunteers and staff sprang into action, working alongside government partners at the Emergency Operations Center, and quickly providing 450 blood products to 13 local hospitals to save lives.

Today more than 150 trained Red Cross, most of whom are unpaid volunteers, are on the ground in Las Vegas, including a large contingent of health, mental health and spiritual caregivers.  About 4,000 people have sought their services, which are offered at the Family Assistance Center, blood drives, vigils and memorials, in hospitals, and in private homes.

The Red Cross is working with government and non-profit agencies to ensure that long-term - not just immediate – needs are met for survivors, families of the deceased, concertgoers, and the general public.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.