Fordyce steering committee will host Town Hall for feedback on distribution of funds for survivors of mass shooting
Fordyce, Ark. (Sept. 13, 2024) –Following the mass shooting that took place on June 29 at Mad Butcher Grocery Store in Fordyce, a steering committee was established to distribute the charitable donations from the Fordyce Survivors Fund. The committee, consisting of local Fordyce citizens and community leaders will host a Town Hall at 6:00 p.m., Sept. 17 at the Fordyce Civic Center.
The Fordyce Survivors Fund was established by Arkansas Community Foundation in the wake of the mass shooting to provide direct financial assistance to the survivors of the deceased and those directly affected by the tragedy.
The steering committee held their initial meeting on August 19 at Fordyce City Hall to discuss and develop a draft protocol on the processes and timeline for determining eligibility for payments from the fund. The draft protocol can be found here. This draft protocol is the steering committee’s suggestion of what rules should apply to fund distribution and was informed by the experience of numerous similar efforts after mass casualty events.
The purpose of the Town Hall is for those affected by the mass shooting to provide feedback for the steering committee on the draft protocol. The committee welcomes feedback to ensure that the proposed rules are fair and reasonable or if changes should be made. Decisions about eligibility and distribution will be made by the steering committee with intentions of transparency, integrity, compassion and fairness.
If you are a victim, family member, donor, concerned citizen, or member of the media who wish to receive information and updates about the Fordyce Survivors Fund, please sign up for the contact list through the following link: https://massviolencesurvivorsfund.org/fund/fordyce-survivors-fund/
Members of the Steering Committee:
Leslie Ford Major Mike Foster Jim Hulse
David Mantz Candace McCollum, Chair Nicole McGhee
Mayor John McNichol Tiffany Nutt Larry Stacy
Leslie Ford Behavioral Health Director, Dallas County Medical Center
Major Mike Foster Dallas County Sheriff's Office
Jim Hulse Fordyce Bank and Trust
David Mantz Dallas County Medical Center CEO
Candace McCollum Nonprofit Leader – COMMITTEE CHAIR
Nicole McGhee, Fordyce School District
John McNichol, Mayor, City of Fordyce
Tiffany Nutt, Nutt Law Firm
Larry Stacy Fordyce Mayor's Chief of Staff
Marjorie Weldele Survivor of Collierville, TN mass shooting
Donations to the fund are still being accepted at www.arcf.org/Fordyce. The Community Foundation has waived all administrative fees so that 100% of donations to the fund will provide financial support for survivors of the shooting.
The Foundation is partnering with the Mass Violence Survivors Fund, the leading authority on financial assistance to victims of mass casualty events with experience in more than 31 mass shootings across the United States. Contact Jeff Dion at Jeff@SurvivorsFund.org with questions.
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Arkansas Community Foundation, a statewide nonprofit organization, provides resources, insight and inspiration to build stronger Arkansas communities – communities where our kids will want to raise their kids. The Community Foundation is the largest grantmaker in the state in the number of grants made each year. Since 1976, the Foundation has provided more than $460 million in grants to nonprofits. The Foundation staff works directly with donors, professional advisors and nonprofits to help strengthen Arkansas communities through strategic philanthropy and focusing on local needs. Its assets rank among the top 60 out of more than 900 community foundations in the United States. Serving statewide and local initiatives, the Community Foundation helps connect those who want to give to the causes they care about. Contributions to Arkansas Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 29 affiliates are fully tax deductible.