LAS VEGAS, NV, OCTOBER 8th, 2017 — Red Cross teams are meeting with people affected by the October 1st shooting at the Family Assistance Center, in hospitals, in people’s homes and at vigils and community gatherings. The Red Cross teams include mental health professionals and spiritual care providers who bring experience from some our nation’s largest mass casualty events.
This evening, in partnership with local government officials and the Canadian government, the Red Cross will be hand-delivering meals to survivors and families of the deceased in local hospitals and hotels in celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving.
Today, the FBI announced that the Family Assistance Center would serve as the space for concertgoers and others to retrieve some of the personal effects that were left at the music festival venue. People interested in finding or identifying those items are urged to visit the Family Assistance Center as soon as possible. People out of town or those not able to come to the FAC should visit the FBI website at www.fbi.gov/lvmusicfestivalshooting. At this website they can provide a description of the items they are looking for and arrange to receive those items.
Healing people is the purpose of the Family Assistance Center. The Family Assistance Center is designed to be a single, one-stop resource to help people move forward, offering a range of services to shooting victims and their families, people who were at the concert, and members of the community who have been devastated by last Sunday’s tragic shooting.
The Family Assistance Center is at 3150 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, and is open from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily. A call center has been activated to serve as a referral resource for those affected by the shooting. Call 702-455-AIDE (out-of-state dial 1-833-299-AIDE) between 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily.
More than 130 Red Cross disaster responders are working tirelessly to provide support to the Las Vegas community. More than 70 of those responders are emotional and spiritual support volunteers.
Red Cross Response to the October 1st Shooting
Immediately after the tragic shooting on October 1st, Southern Nevada Red Cross volunteers and staff sprang into action, working alongside government partners at the Emergency Operations Center, and quickly providing 450 units of blood to 13 local hospitals to save lives. In the days that have followed, more than 100 trained Red Cross workers have joined the local Red Cross team in providing critical support to a devastated but resilient community.
Red Cross health, mental health and spiritual care workers have been meeting with people at the Family Assistance Center, in hospitals, in people’s homes and have been attending vigils, memorials, and blood drives. Over 2,000 people have been supported by Red Cross mental health and health professionals, and spiritual care providers.
Red Cross caseworkers are ensuring people access the resources they need, which could include financial assistance depending on the circumstances of individuals affected. Caseworkers also help survivors and grieving families plan for the future.
The Red Cross will have mental health and spiritual care workers at all Red Cross events, including blood drives and vigils. They will also be positioned at local memorials in an effort to connect with people who need emotional support.
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.
