Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Mass shootings are far too common in the United States. In May 2022, a racially motivated massacre by a white supremacist at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo left 10 people dead and even more wounded.

To assist those affected by this tragedy, many funders have come together to establish the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund, coordinated by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. In 2022, NYHealth awarded the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo a grant to support the Fund’s efforts to help organizations deliver services and assistance to the Buffalo community.

Under this grant, the Fund will provide a variety of services and supports, based on the community’s immediate and long-term needs. Community members who have experienced trauma will be connected to mental health supports. To fill the gaps left by the current closure of the Tops Supermarket, residents will be connected to food deliveries and transportation as well as medication/prescriptions that would have been filled at the Tops pharmacy. Resources will also be made available to address social isolation among residents that is being exacerbated as result of fear. Over the long term, the Fund will also address systemic issues and community rebuilding. The Fund will manage and distribute its funds in a way that engages with the community to best direct resources based on evolving needs and priorities.