Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Protocols are now in place and a steering committee named to be responsible for setting policies for the eligibility and distribution of funds collected by the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund, benefitting those impacted by the May 14 shooting at the Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue.
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The committee will be led by Rev. Mark Blue, President of the Buffalo NAACP, and Paul Vukelic, Chair of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and President & CEO of Try-it Distributing.
The committee Monday published a set of Draft Protocols which it proposes to govern eligibility and distribution for 100% of all money donated to assist survivors of the Buffalo shooting on May 14th.
“We are committed to a fair and transparent process where everyone has a voice,” said Co-Chair Rev. Mark Blue, “We want to hear from survivors, donors, advocates and the community at large so we can make an informed decision about the distribution to all of these families.”
Public Comments can be submitted via e-mail to Buffalo@NationalCompassion.org, by July 20, 2022. The Steering Committee will conduct a Town Hall meeting on Thursday, July 21 at 6:00 pm at City Honors School, 186 E. North St., Buffalo, NY 14204. At the meeting there will be an explanation of the Draft Protocol and the application submission process, and an opportunity for questions and comments from potential applicants and the general public.
The Draft Protocol proposes five categories of eligibility: families of those who were killed, those who were injured by gunfire, those who suffered some other type of physical injury arising from the event, those who were present and suffered psychological trauma, and employees of the Jefferson Avenue store not present at the time of the shooting. The donations distributed by the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund are a gift and are not considered to be compensation for any economic loss. Co-Chair Paul Vukelic added, “These donations could never make the survivors whole but will hopefully provide the recipients with some comfort knowing that there are many people who wanted to give something to help them in whatever way is possible.”
The Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund is being administered by the National Compassion Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to coordinating donations for victims of mass casualty crimes. It administered relief funds for victims of 21 mass casualty events, including mass shootings at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, FL, the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, WalMart in El Paso, TX, Stop&Shop in West Hempstead, NY, and Kroger in Collierville, TN.