Texas Mass Shooting Victims: How You Can Help

AUSTIN, TX — There are many ways to help the families touched by tragedy in the wake of the mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, this past Sunday. A lone gunman's rampage left 26 dead and some 10 others injured, in a low-income community in a rural part of the state outside San Antonio.

Aside from the various GoFundMe campaigns created to defray burial and medical costs, a benefit concert is scheduled in nearby Seguin, Texas. Long a corporate philanthropist, retailer HEB has again stepped up with a way for patrons to make donations at the cash register.

Here are some ways you can help those affected by what has been described as the worst mass shooting in Texas history:

American Red Cross

Teams from the American Red Cross, have been dispatched to assist as needed in the wake of the shooting.

Aumont Saloon fundraiser
The Aumont Saloon, in Seguin, Texas, located 301 N. Austin Street, will be hosting a fundraiser for Tara McNulty, a mother of two who worked at the tavern for three years before being killed. The benefit is scheduled Sunday, Nov. 12, from noon to 10 p.m. A silent auction is scheduled along with live music throughout the day.

Blood donations

Those in the South Texas region where the massacre took place are being encouraged to donate blood. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center particularly urges those with O-positive or O-negative blood types to donate. Visit the blood bank website for more information on how to donate.

In the same vein, Time.com reported a list from Connally Memoral Medical Center — where eight of the victims were originally sent — detailing where and when to donate blood in the area:

• 1 p.m. CST to 6 p.m. CST Monday, Nov. 6 at Connally Memorial Medical Center.
• Sunday, Nov. 12 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Floresville, Texas.
• Sunday, Nov. 12 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Elmendorf, Texas.
• 9 a.m. CST to 1 p.m. CST Tuesday, Nov. 21 at Connally Memorial Medical Center.

First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs website

A First Baptist Church donation portal has been created on the website of the parish. Donations will enable church officials to pay their monthly bills and remain open via a yellow "donate" button. The church was heavily damaged by heavy gunfire.

HEB cash register donations

As retail shoppers, we're well accustomed with the option of donating to myriad causes as we swipe our credit or debit cards in making our purchases. HEB has calibrated that method of philanthropy by allowing patrons to make cash register donations in cash increments ranging from $3 to $100 toward benefiting victims and their families. Donations will be accepted at HEB locations throughout Texas.

The San Antonio Express-News reports that a 22-year employee at the HEB store in Floresville was among the mass shooting victims. A spokeswoman for the retailer declined to identify the employee, citing the family's privacy.

"HEB is committed to providing assistance during times of crisis. Our hearts reach out to all at this tragic, painful time,” said Winell Herron, Group Vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs, said in a prepared statement. “It is our hope that H-E-B’s donations, along with our loyal customers’ support, will help our neighbors in Sutherland Springs. This is a difficult situation for many as they grieve and face unimaginable loss.”

HEB last distinguished itself during Hurricane Harvey, sending food, bottled water and other supplies to victims of natural disaster. The retailer also dispatched mobile kitchens to regions affected by the hurricane, offering hot, freshly made meals to victims and first responders alike.

Related story: Victims Of Texas Massacre Range From 17 Months To 77 Years

Holcombe family GoFundMe campaign

As if the death toll weren't unfathomable enough to conceive, one family attending service on Sunday lost eight of its members at the First Baptist Church where the massacre took place. In one grisly fell swoop, three generations of the family were gunned down. A family friend has set up a GoFundMe campaign in honor of Sarah Slavin Holcombe, who lost her mother, father, sister-in-law (who was eight months pregnant) and five nieces and nephews.

“It’s going to take a lot of funds to cover eight funerals, lost wages, perhaps child/adult counseling, and who knows what else,” the longtime family friend wrote separately on Facebook. “No matter what number the (fundraising drive) reaches, it will never be enough. But everything helps.”

Relief funds

The FBC Sutherland Springs Shooting GoFundMe account is raising money for victims’ medical, funeral and related costs. Alternatively, one can donate money via the Guidestar-certified Hardest Hit Family Relief Fund. Donations also are being accepted via the Sutherland Springs Shooting Fund GoFundMe and on the Hardest Hit Family Relief Fund website.

Supplies donations

Follow the nearby River Oaks Church in Sutherland Springs via Facebook for lists of needed supplies to those affected. The church's pastor, Paul Buford, will update lists of desired supplies as needs arise. As of Monday afternoon, there were no immediate needs, but that could potentially change.

Sutherland Springs Royal Court
The day after the shooting, the Sutherland Springs Royal Court assembled a tent near the town's community center where donations for victims are being acccepted. The makeshift donation center is located at the corner of 4th and 13th streets, not far from the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs where the tragedy unfolded.

Ward family Gofundme page

This campaign was launched by the uncle of Joann Ward, killed alongside her two daughters Brooke, 5, and Emily, 7. Her five-year-old son, Ryland Ward, is currently hospitalized with grave gunshot wounds. “I can imagine the costs burden on her surviving husband and family,” the uncle wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Any contribution you can make will go directly to help with funeral costs, medical costs and other losses due to this horrific tragedy. Thank you.”

Also See: Vigil For Texas Church Shooting Victims

Patch will update this story as more opportunities to help Sutherland Springs victims arise.

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