In response to the devastating killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., several organizations and individuals have already begun collections and campaigns.
Here are a few that Education Week has done its best to confirm are legitimate organizations seeking donations or other help.
Money donated to the Sandy Hook Elementary School Victims Relief Fund will benefit the school’s parent-teacher-student association. The fund was created through the website CrowdRise, which collects donations and mails them directly to the address the charity lists on federal tax documents. Another Crowdrise site is collecting donations for Newtown Youth and Family Services.
You can also donate directly to Newtown Youth and Family Services.
Post a message at Wall of Love, which was created specifically in response to the Dec. 14 shootings. “These children were too young to experience this type of hurt or pain. They’re too young to know that the world can be this violent, this cruel, this merciless,” a message on the website says. “This site was made to prove that there is more good in this world than bad. Help us prove this and submit your piece of love to the site. And take a little bit of love with you, too.”
A Facebook page in honor of the victims has also been created, called R.I.P. Sandy Hook Elementary School Children.
Make donations to Danbury Hospital, where some of the victims were transported and which is providing crisis intervention and supportive counseling to the community, here.
The Newtown Parent Connection, a group created to address substance use and abuse among young people, says all donations it receives will be donated directly to those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings.
The United Way of Western Connecticut is also accepting donations on behalf of shooting victims and families, in a partnership with Newtown Savings Bank.
And some are calling for cards and letters to be sent directly to Sandy Hook Elementary School.