Our hearts go out to all those who are affected by Wednesday’s tragic shooting in Broward County, Florida.
The American Red Cross is working in close coordination with emergency officials to provide comfort and support. The Red Cross is supporting a family assistance center, and mental health and spiritual care volunteers are on hand to help. Over the coming days, the Red Cross will continue to coordinate closely with local officials and community partners to determine how we can best support the community and the loved ones of those who have been harmed.
While we do not typically serve hospitals in South Florida, the Red Cross provided 50 units of type O negative blood to support hospitals in response to the shooting. We stand ready to provide additional blood and blood products as needed. It’s the blood that is already on the shelves that helps during an emergency. Volunteer blood donors are needed each and every day to help save lives. The Red Cross has an adequate blood supply to respond to this tragedy and is grateful for all donors who generously give blood throughout the country.
COPING AND PREPAREDNESS TIPS
This is a difficult time for everyone affected and it’s important for people to connect with and support each other. The Red Cross offers the following tips to help people stay strong:
- Events like this can cause feelings of uncertainty and anxiety since no one knows what could potentially happen next. Remember that it’s okay to feel nervous.
- Stay informed but limit media exposure of the events, especially for children. Children are especially vulnerable to stress reactions related to media.
- Parents should let children talk about their fears and then reassure them about their safety. Talk with them in ways that they can easily understand. Let them guide the conversation; share details only when they ask about them.
- Be patient with yourself and others. It’s common to have any number of temporary stress reactions such as anger, frustration and anxiety.
- Spend more time with family and friends and offer your support. Hug one another and listen.
- Watch for signs of stress in your family, friends and children. Get help from others if needed.
- Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water and get enough rest.
- To reach out for free 24/7 counseling or support, contact the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs’ to 66746
The Red Cross understands that people around the country want to help and appreciates that support. Right now, the Red Cross has what it needs to support the community and is not accepting financial donations designated specifically for this event.
We are asking people to not collect and send items like stuffed animals or dolls, blankets, clothing, water and food. It takes time and money to store, sort, clean and distribute these items, which diverts limited time and resources away from helping those most affected.
This tragedy shows that emergencies can happen in any community at any time. And it’s critical to know what to do when an emergency occurs. Check information at the above link to learn how to get your household prepared. Register for a Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED course at redcross.org so that you can be better prepared to help in future emergencies. People can also download the free Red Cross First Aid App that puts free and simple lifesaving information in the hands of smartphone and tablet users. The app is available in app stores by searching for American Red Cross.