This Fund Needs All The Help It Can Get

After the devastating events at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, many concerned individuals are eager to help the victims of this tragedy in any manner possible. Individuals around the greater Orlando area have lined up to donate blood to Orlando Regional Medical Center and nearby blood banks and donation vehicles. However, for those outside of Orlando and around the nation and world who cannot locally donate blood, there are GoFundMe and other fundraising pages circulating throughout the Internet collecting monetary donations for victims. The most notable is the Pulse Victims Fund to support the Orlando victims, which has amassed more than $2.5 million dollars in one day.

The goal for this fundraising page has increased as hours have passed. It was previously at $2.5 million, a goal the page surpassed in a matter of hours. Better yet, the goal has moved to $3 million dollars, and can potentially increase, so long as the donations continue flowing in. This particular page, created on June 12 by Ida Vishkaee Eskamani, is working in conjunction with the National Center for Victims of Crime. The Pulse Victims Fund GoFundMe page explains that this particular organization deployed monetary assistance following both the Aurora, Colorado, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, shootings and delivers assistance directly to the victims.

For the record, this is the official Pulse Victims Fund page for Equality Florida, described as "the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization." As the page explains, "Equality Florida is collecting contributions via the Pulse Victims Fund GoFundMe page to support the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando's Pulse Nightclub." As far as distribution of funds is concerned, Equality Florida is working with a legal team and experts on violent crime to ensure funds are distributed correctly.

At this time, one of the most effective and direct responses concerned parties from around the world can make to help this cause is to share the Pulse Victims Fund GoFundMe page. Share it like wildfire, in fact, and hopefully the page will surpass $3 million dollars by Tuesday morning.

Our LGBT friends and family in Orlando need help and compassion, and monetary donations are a means of achieving some level of normalcy. If the world cannot bring back those lost in this tragedy, at the very least we can aid those who are currently suffering with their medical expenses, and to regain their own sense of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual security in the wake of the events they were tragically forced to endure.