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Brown encourages those impacted by Tops market shootings to take advantage of growing number of free grief counseling, food, transportation support services

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Mon, May 16th 2022 04:50 pm

City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown on Monday urged Buffalo residents in need of grief support, groceries or food shopping transportation to take advantage of the growing list of free support opportunities established to aid those impacted by the May 14 shootings at the Tops Supermarket on Jefferson Avenue.

“Here in the City of Good Neighbors, there are many service providers and community organizations ready to help in the wake Saturday’s horrific incident at the Jefferson Avenue Tops Market,” Brown said. “The City of Buffalo is a family and we want to make sure our brothers and sisters to get the assistance they need at this extremely difficult time. If you are in need of groceries, a ride to a supermarket – and most importantly, a shoulder to cry on or a friendly face to talk through what you’re going through – please reach out for help.”

Here is a current list of healing and helping services:

√ Crisis services counselors are available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Johnnie B. Wiley Pavilion, 1100 Jefferson Ave. The crisis services 24-hour hotline is open at 716-834-3131.

√ Mental Health Advocates of Western New York has a host of support groups and wraparound services for teens, adults and families.

√ The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Buffalo and Erie County works to support families who may be dealing with any fallout of this situation.

√ The Erie County Department of Mental Health has a list of community providers and services.

√ The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a guide on how to cope with managing distress after a mass shooting, and guides on how to talk to your children after traumatic events.

√ Spectrum Health and Human Services has resources to help with mental health and addiction counseling. It can be reached at 716-710-5172.

√ The ECMC HelpCenter is offering walk-in and virtual counseling services from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily. Call 716-898-1594 to schedule a walk-in visit at 1285 Main St., or visit www.ecmc.edu/ecmc-virtual-helpcenter-visits/ for an online session.

For those in need of food:

√ FeedMore WNY is partnering The Resource Council of WNY to distribute basic groceries, located at 347 E. Ferry St., daily, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., through at least, Friday, May 27.

√ The Buffalo Community Fridge, located at 257 E. Ferry St., is stocked with fresh produce, milk, juice, water and eggs.

√ Buffalo Creek Academy is offering free grocery delivery assistance to those who live in the Jefferson Avenue area. The academy can be reached at 716-217-2661.

For those who need transportation for grocery shopping:

√ Tops Markets is providing a shuttle service from the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Riley Street to its Elmwood Avenue store, daily, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., until it can reopen its Jefferson Avenue market.

√ Lyft and Uber are offering free rides to the Tops Market, at 425 Niagara St., and Price Rite, at 250 Elmwood Ave., for Buffalo residents who reside in the 14208 and 14209 ZIP codes.

Lyft code: Use BuffaloLyftUp to get $25 in the Lyft app. Uber code: Use SHOPBUF to get up to $20 off a ride, with a maximum of eight rides per customer.

For those interested in helping those in need:

√ Online donations for food supplies can be made through FeedMore WNY at: https://www.feedmorewny.org/donate/.

√ GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub for verified entities tied to the Buffalo mass shooting. Visit: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/buffalo-mass-shooting-fundraisers.

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