LEWISTON, Maine — If you or someone you know was injured or present during the mass shooting in Lewiston, please click here for more information and to see if you're eligible for any donation funds.
It’s been an unthinkable past few weeks for the people of Lewiston. Eighteen lives were taken, 13 more were injured, and countless others were affected during the Oct. 25 mass shooting.
Almost immediately after the tragic events last month, support began to pour in across the state and the world.
The Maine Community Foundation established the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund 36 hours after the shooting.
Representatives from the organization announced Thursday that $1.8M has been donated to the fund so far. The money will be allocated to two causes, both with the goal of helping Lewiston.
One will directly support shooting victims and the families who lost loved ones. That fund has already collected more than $1.3M. The other donations will be used for broader outreach initiatives.
Representatives from the Maine Community Foundation will prioritize assisting family members first, but added that every donation will be used to support the people of Lewiston. Donors are able to chose which side of the fund they can donate to, and you can do that by clicking here.
Tom Platz will chair a Victims & Families Fund steering committee, tasked with figuring out how to best distribute funds to each person who is eligible and what the criteria for eligibility will be.
"It’s sad that this committee is necessary, but it’s important that we all work to bring our community together during this healing process," Platz said during a press conference in Auburn Thursday. "It will be a privilege to work with this group to help Lewiston in healing from this terrible mark on our history."
However, Platz said this work will not be done without the support from the community. The committee needs help identifying Mainers who were personally affected by the mass shooting, so they can receive funds if eligible.
If you were injured, or present at either shooting scene on Oct. 25, please click this link to learn more information about this fund and how to apply to receive funds. According to the speakers at the Thursday press conference, an estimated 150 people were directly impacted by the shootings—including victims, those injured, and everyone present.
"Psychological trauma is real and impactful and it's terribly important that we recognize that," Mass casualty response expert Jeff Dion, who is also serving as a consultant to the steering committee said Thursday.
Dion explained how the donation process could look. The committee will work to identify the families of those Mainers who lost their lives in the shooting, those who were injured, and those physically present, and separate them into categories.
Each person eligible for funds will be awarded the same amount of money as the others in their defined category.
The committee will go over its proposals during a town hall on Dec. 6 in Lewiston where members of the public are encouraged to come provide feedback and ask questions.
Maine Community Foundation President Deborah Ellwood did acknowledged that the allocation of funds could take some time, and the donation page will be open for the foreseeable future.
Representatives at the press conference Thursday also explained that some family members of the people killed could also apply to receive their share of funds by way of advanced payment.
"This is something we can do to help—we are sad that it is needed, but we are glad to serve as an organization that can play a part in the continuum of care that will help Lewiston rise and thrive, following this traumatic time," Ellwood said in a release.
The steering committee is comprised of volunteers and includes:
- Tom Platz (Chair), Platz Associates
- Deborah Anthoine, St. Mary’s Health System
- Kevin Bohlin, Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Marc Frenette, Trafton, Matzen, Belleau & Frenette, LLP
- Meg Greene, Brann & Isaacson
- Laura Lee, Maine Community Foundation
- Neil Kiely, Androscoggin Bank
- Steven Littleson, Central Maine Healthcare
- John Ochira, Maine Community Foundation
- Catherine Ryder, Tri-County Mental Health Services
- Joe Samaha, father of victim in Virginia Tech shooting
- Sitara Sheikh, Maine Association for the Deaf
- Cara Cookson, Special Liaison to the Office of the Attorney General