One simple way to help in the wake of a tragedy is to donate blood. Even if you aren’t near Las Vegas, blood banks and hospitals network together to get supplies where they need to go. Donating now (or in the coming weeks) will help get more blood to the people who need it.
United Blood Services and the American Red Cross have both provided blood to Las Vegas hospitals, and both list blood donation centers on their websites. United Blood has six locations in Nevada. The Red Cross is holding a blood drive at the Springhill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center, and The Las Vegas police department tweeted that the Labor Health & Welfare center is also a site to donate. Wherever you are, you can find a blood drive or center near you with this tool.
You can still help if you are in another part of the country; your blood might not make it all the way to Las Vegas, but it can go to a hospital near you, freeing up supplies somewhere else. Donations in the coming days and weeks can also help, since blood is often in short supply, and people who were wounded in the shooting may need more blood, and undergo more treatments and surgeries, as time goes on.
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Blood donation organizations have a long list of criteria for deciding who is eligible to donate; they derive from FDA guidelines. Some of the rules are for your own safety, and others are meant to reduce the likelihood of certain diseases turning up in the blood supply. Some of these rules are arguably unfair and inappropriate, like the one saying men who have had sex with men are unable to donate for 12 months, for example. Check with your blood bank before you stand in line; the Red Cross’s criteria are here, and United Blood Services’ are here.