Music City Cares Sends Funds To Vegas Non-Profits To Aid Victims

The Music City Cares Fund has begun distributing grants to Las Vegas-area non-profits to aid in the recovery efforts following Sunday night’s Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting. The first two grants will be sent to Bridge Counseling Associates and the Injured Police Officer’s Fund.

In operation since 1971, Bridge Counseling is the oldest nonprofit providing individual and family counseling in Southern Nevada. The organization has been providing emotional and mental support for victims as part of the Family Assistant Center established at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the aftermath of the shooting. Iit has been providing group support for caregivers, first responders, and other people in counseling services. The organization has already seen more than 100 patients beyond its usual caseload and expects the numbers to grow exponentially in the coming days.

The Injured Police Officers Fund is composed of law enforcement officers from each of the member agencies who volunteer their time and are appointed by their agency. The organization has already helped pay for the expenses in the burial of an officer, with $25,000 going to help the family with additional expenses. Five injured officers remain hospitalized. The organization is planning to help officers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) going forward.

“The bullets are no longer flying, but the damage they caused will forever remain … for those who lived through it, and for those whose loved ones were there,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation. “For all of us who watched it unfold from afar, all we can do now is to do what we can to make their path easier, to support them in every way possible. Hence the birth of the Music City Cares Fund, which is already accepting gifts and making grants to address a range of issues and a range of opportunities to help,” Lehman continued. “We can’t do everything. We can’t turn the clock back to Saturday, but we can and must do what we can, when we can. Please join in this effort to restore health and rebuild lives. Giving matters.”

Donations to the Music City Cares Fund are tax-deductible, and 100% of the funds will go to nonprofits providing immediate and long-term needs of the shooting victims. To give to the Fund, go to cfmt.org/MusicCityCares. Other places to give include the National Compassion Fund Las Vegas, with 100% of funds to be distributed directly to victims of the shooting. Donations to the fund are held separately from general donations to the National Center for Victims of Crime.