Unite to Support Our East Side Communities

Updated: May 27, 2022

Thank you for your interest in supporting the East Side Community following the tragedy that occurred on Saturday, May 14, 2022. The event concluded with ten deaths and three non-lethal injuries. While the event itself took just minutes, the reverberations are vast, directly impacting thousands upon thousands of residents who call the East Side home and, frankly, the entire city and its environs.

We know you have questions. We know you want to support our friends and neighbors on the East Side. To assist, we have prepared a resource list below that will be updated as more information and resources become available. We have categorized as Donate/Volunteer/Gather/Restore.

Donate: the following are organizations that have been vetted as trustworthy donation outlets:

• Buffalo Mutual Aid Network: Collecting monetary donations to meet direct, individual needs: https://www.gofundme.com/f/x9vue7-buffalo-mutual-aid-network?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
  • • Emergency Mental Health Micro-Grants – https://bit.ly/MentalHealthMiniGrant
    • Food and Mental Health Support Request – https://bit.ly/FoodAndMentalHealthSupport
• Black Love Resists in the Rust: Collecting monetary donations to provide food support to those affected: https://donate-usa.keela.co/mental-health-and-food-support?fbclid=IwAR28pMU8bmXL7b5HaqJSLKDB-fm2c6nsJuuAxBarIConZYTaxdf3qQjRaUY
• Buffalo Community Fridge: Requesting donations of the following food goods (NOTE: NOT accepting monetary donations at this time). Drop off locations can be found here, https://www.buffalocommunityfridges.com/
  • Fresh Produce
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Cheese
  • Baby Formula
  • Baby Food
  • Juice
  • Water
  • Labeled Cooked Meals
  • Cooked Meat
  • *NO Raw Meat
• Candles in the S.U.N. (Save Ur Neighborhood): Accepting monetary donations to support fresh produce stands throughout the East Side: https://www.candlesinthesun.com/  
• 211 Food Distribution Info: See image, click on to enlarge
• FEED Buffalo: Accepting monetary donations to provide organic and Halal food: https://www.feedbuffalo.org/
• United Way of Buffalo & Erie County’s Buffalo Together Community Response Fund: https://www.buffalotogetherfund.org/together/

Volunteer: for additional support opportunities

• Join BMAN (Buffalo Mutual Aid Network) Group on FB to learn about volunteer opportunities, https://www.facebook.com/groups/BuffaloMutualAid
• Follow BLRR (Black Love Resists in the Rust) on Facebook and Instagram to learn about events and volunteer opportunities, https://www.facebook.com/BLRRbuffalo
• Donate1 – mental health therapists can donate free spots on caseload to anyone impacted by the tragedy, contact Amy (viola_amy@yahoo.com)
• Colored Girls Bike Too is seeking volunteers to deliver foods to residents and support neighborhood pop up food distribution sites. https://www.instagram.com/p/CdlggvCOpIZ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Gather: here is a list of community gatherings, prayer services, and other meetings being held in response to the tragedy:

• SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) Emergency Response Meeting Tuesday (5/17) at 7PM: https://act.surj.org/a/mourn-and-organize
• Buffalo State College Campus Vigil Tuesday (5/17) at 4:00 p.m. in the Student Union Plaza: https://cce.buffalostate.edu/supporting-our-community-time-need

Restore: options for mental health, food, and supplies insecurities and restoration 

• Crisis Services 24-hour crisis hotline: 716-834-3131.
• Coping documents for review
  • Tips for Discussing Difficult Topics with Children
  • Coping after mass violence
• Tops Food Shuttle -Monday from 10am – 7pm daily from Jefferson Ave & Riley St. to Tops on Elmwood Ave.
• Food and Supplies – the Resource Council of WNY at 347 East Ferry St. in Buffalo
• Community Peace Market: https://www.facebook.com/116720236840087/posts/552546996590740/?d=n
• Slow Roll Food Distribution, Monday: https://facebook.com/events/s/king-of-wings-ride-fruit-belt-/1127855618070325/
• New York State Resources and Services for Residents Impacted by Buffalo Shooting
• Tips for Providers: Helping Children and Youth Cope with Collective Grief
• Once I Was Very Very Sad: An Illustrated Story for Children