where to donate blood for victims of pulse shootings

Hundreds lined up to donate at the OneBlood center on Commodity circle in Orlando after the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub. Thousands of people began donating blood, throughout Florida and even in other states, starting hours after the June 12 shooting.

Full Answer

1. Donate blood, if you're able to give

Orlando officials appealed to the public early Sunday, asking for blood donations, especially of O-positive, O-negative, A-positive and B blood types. There is also a need for plasma donations in the aftermath of the shooting.

2. Support organizations working with the impacted community

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Central Florida is working to support the local queer community through counseling and support in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. To donate to the center’s efforts, visit here. To reach the center’s hotline and speak to a counselor, call 1-407-228-1446.

3. Advocate to help implement stricter gun laws

Many advocates are using Sunday's events as a way to continue the conversation around the need for stricter gun laws in the U.S. With gun violence a common reality -- rather than a rarity -- it’s easy to feel like you are at the whim of a debate that is overwhelming, scary and unmanageable.

4. Donate to victims' families through Equality Florida

It's important to make sure a trusted organization with a solid track record is handling your funds responsibly when donating money to victims and their families. One organization is taking on that role in the aftermath of the Pulse shooting.

5. Check in with loved ones in the direct area

As with many crisis situations around the world, Facebook activated its safety check feature for those in the Orlando area -- the first time the social network has done so in the U.S. Facebook users who survived or were injured in the attack can confirm their safety, and alert their friends of their status.

6. Check in with your own network of LGBTQ loved ones

The LGBTQ community is always united in struggle, so instances of direct violence and harm affect even those displaced from the situation. Moments of mass violence are always threatening and scary, but they especially hit home when directly impacting "safe spaces" for a community that is constantly on guard for discrimination, harassment and harm.