LEWISTON, Maine — The Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund will close at the end of the day Tuesday, after raising over $5 million for the Lewiston community, following the tragic mass shooting in October, which claimed 18 lives.
The Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) created the fund just 36 hours after the shootings. Since then, it has raised about $3.5 million for victims and their families, with the remaining being used to help nonprofits serving the Lewiston-Auburn community.
"People just needed a place to contribute financially, and that's one way we could be helpful," the President and CEO of MaineCF Deborah Ellwood, said. "The outpouring has just been unbelievable."
The money was allocated to two causes: supporting victims and their families and nonprofits supporting recovery efforts in the community.
MaineCF anticipates donations to victims and their families will be distributed in early April after the steering committee reviews the applications it's received. All families of the 18 victims have applied to receive funding, according to Ellwood.
It's thanks to thousands and thousands of donors from around the world who are making it possible to bring some financial relief to people's lives who have been forever changed. Countless fundraisers, full of small acts from one Mainer to the next, have together, made a monumental difference.
"It's like, the giving is the healing and the healing is offering up part of ourselves in the smallest way," Charlie Hewitt, a Maine artist best known for his 'Hopeful' signs, said as he organized a fundraiser in November for his hometown of Lewiston.
"I think if everyone comes together and thinks positively and helps one another, it doesn't make anything go away or change any facts but it does give you a little bit of hope for the future," Aura owner Krista Newman said.
The donations will be distributed with the guidance of two steering committees to help with the grant-giving process. Applications for nonprofits and organizations supporting broad recovery in the Lewiston community must apply for funds by the end of March 4. Applications for victims and their families have closed.
If you're interested in donating or learning more, click here.
Donations are also being accepted by mail, but they must be postmarked by Tuesday, Feb. 20. Those can be sent to:
Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund
Maine Community Foundation
245 Main Street
Ellsworth, ME 04605