Residents hold a candlelight vigil outside Newtown High School after President Barack Obama delivered remarks at an interfaith vigil for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 16, 2012, at Newtown High School in Newtown, Conn. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
After Friday's deadly rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown, Conn., that took the lives of 20 children and six adults at the
school, many organizations have set up ways to help.
As a result of the shooting, many parents have spoken out about their
own child with mental illness. Some parents are worried, saying their
child needs help.
If you are worried about a family member's mental health, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry on what you can do to help.
Many organizations in and around Newtown, Conn., have set up ways that
you can donate and support the families affected by the shooting at
Sandy Hook Elementary School.
My Sandy Hook Family Fund
was started to help the families who'd lost children and family
members. Donations will go toward helping them meet immediate expenses,
including funeral services, as well as ongoing living expenses such as
food, mortgage payments, day care, insurance and fuel.
The Newtown Memorial Fund
has been set up to provide financial support to families for funeral
services, to assist the town in creating a lasting memorial and to
provide an annual scholarship to students of the Newtown Public Schools
who will be going to college.
Newtown Youth and Family Services
is providing counseling to community members, and all donations to the
organization will go directly to those affected by the shooting.
The United Way of Western Connecticut set up the Sandy Hook School Support Fund to support the families and community members. To donate, visit its website.
The Red Cross
is on the ground in Newtown, providing food, water and emotional
support to families and first responders. The organization is also
providing grief counseling to the community.
All donations to the Newtown Parent Connection
will go to those directly affected by the shooting. The organization is
also providing support resources to the community, including
trauma-support sessions.
In honor of 6-year-old victim Emilie Parker, who was originally from
Utah, the Emilie Parker Memorial Fund has been set up at America First
Credit Union in Utah. For more information about how to donate, visit
the fund's Facebook page.
Save the Children
has set up a child-friendly space in the Newtown middle school where
kids can play and express themselves while parents receive grief
counseling and support. The organization also put out a list of tips on
how to support your children through this tragedy.
Willow Bay, journalist and author of the book "Talking to Your Kids in
Tough Times: How to Answer Your Child's Questions about the World We
Live In," shared tips on how to talk to your kids about the Connecticut
shooting.
ABC