LAS VEGAS, NV, OCTOBER 7, 2017 — Red Cross teams are meeting with people affected by the October 1st shooting at the Family Assistance Center, hospitals, and in people’s homes.  This is part of Red Cross support to the Las Vegas community following the tragic events of Sunday, October 1, 2017.  The Red Cross teams include skilled mental health professionals and spiritual care providers who bring experience from some our nation’s largest mass casualty events.

 At the Family Assistance Center, Dan Mosley, Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Lead, said “This is a healing place.”

 Upon entering the Family Assistance Center, families or individuals seeking assistance are assigned Red Cross companions who will stay with them as long as they are in the center.  The companions provide comfort and counseling and help clients access additional resources.  “All of us have some degree of recovery to go through,” Mosley explains.  “Each person goes through their own path of recovery.”

 “Some people are reluctant to leave their homes and relatives…if we could encourage them to come here, this is a healing place.  Being here in this nurturing place…is a very positive step.”  

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.

 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 mental health and spiritual care workers have been meeting with people at the Family Assistance Center and have been attending vigils, memorials, and blood drives.  The Red Cross has been contacted over 700 times by people distressed and traumatized by the shooting.

 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.

 For people not inclined or able to leave their homes and who were affected by the tragedy, Red Cross teams have been visiting their homes to provide access to recovery resources. Similarly, Red Cross teams have been visiting hospitals making direct contact with people – up to 40 per day - who were injured and ensuring they are aware of the services available to them.  Call 702-455-AIDE (out-of-state dial 1-833-299-AIDE) between 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily.

The Red Cross will have mental health and spiritual care workers at Red Cross blood drives on Sunday, October 8, 2017:

o   7 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., St. Francis De Sales Parish, 1111 Michael Way, Las Vegas, NV

o   11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Whole Foods - West Lake Mead, 7250 West Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas, NV

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.