In the wake of the deadly Thursday night shooting of Dallas police officers and the shooting deaths of two black men by police officers, many Americans are searching for answers and ways to show support for these victims' families.
Atlantans have shown their support in droves through marches, vigils and protests following the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota—both by police officers—in the last two days.
In the hours since a reportedly lone gunman fatally shot five Dallas police officers at a Black Lives Matter rally and injured seven other officers, local residents and people across the country have expressed interest in offering support to victims in all three of these fatal shootings.
Here are organizations and crowdfunding efforts that benefit the victims of these recent shootings:
Assist the Officer Foundation
This Dallas-based organization provides financial assistance to officers who are facing loss of income due to a serious injury, life-threatening illness or other catastrophic event. Immediate assistance is also available to an officer's family in the event of the death of an active officer. Donate here.
Justice for #AltonSterling by IssaRae
Internet star and executive producer behind HBO's "Insecure" Issa Rae has formed a GoFundMe page to support Alton Sterling's college fund. "If you feel helpless, but want to play a small part in easing the burden of #AltonSterling's family, consider donating to this scholarship fund for his 15-year-old son (and his other kids)," according to the fundraising page. Donate here.
Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation
The Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation (DFOF) was established in 2009 by active Dallas officers. The Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation is an affiliate of the Dallas Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police and a supporter of the Dallas Police Department and other local police agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The non-profit organization assists the immediate families of "fallen officers" critically injured or killed in the line of duty. Donate here.
#PhilandoCastile Funds for Family
A GoFundMe has been established for the family of Philando Castile and seeks to raise $125,000 for the the Minnesota man's family. It's been shared on Facebook more than 6,800 times and has raised more than $133,000. Donate here.
Concerns for Police Survivors
Concerns for Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) was organized in 1984 and now includes more than 37,000 families, spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty according to federal government criteria. C.O.P.S. is governed by a national board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are administered by the National Office in Camdenton, Missouri. C.O.P.S. has over 50 chapters nationwide that work with survivors at the grass-roots level. Donate here.
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