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The Illinois suburb of Highland Park is still reeling from the 

 that killed seven people, wounded dozens and affected many others. 

 and damage wrought, you may be wondering how you can support those impacted by the tragedy. 

One way is to donate to the community, either to the official city funds or to verified fundraisers created by the families of victims and survivors (more on that below). Consider using websites like 

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering warned people of scams on Wednesday. 

"Please be aware of online and email solicitations for donations as they may not be legitimate," she said 

. "Also, protecting the privacy of victims and their families is paramount. Please be considerate when sharing information on social media, and do not share personal details about the victims or their families." 

Here is a non-exhaustive guide to ways you can help: 

The Highland Park Community Foundation has established a July 4th Highland Park Shooting Response Fund, 

 will give all donations directly to victims, survivors and local organizations that support them. 

 to donate, or send a check payable to the Highland Park Community Foundation to P.O. Box 398, Highland Park, IL 60035. 

"Never have we needed the strength of community and neighbors more than now," the foundation 

 is also raising money to help local residents in the wake of the shooting. 

It says 100% of donations will go towards the needs of the community, including mental health counseling services, downtown revitalization, violence prevention and education and any "other urgent needs as they arise." You can 

Many of the people who suffered injuries or lost loved ones in the shooting have created online fundraisers to solicit donations for things like funeral expenses, medical bills and other forms of assistance. 

The online crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has 

 several of those fundraisers through its Trust and Safety team, and gathered them 

Some of the verified fundraisers are organized by 

, a network of surviving victims of mass casualty crime who collect donations to make sure people directly impacted by similar tragedies receive the funds directly. They have launched similar fundraisers in the aftermath of recent mass shootings including those in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, N.Y.; Atlanta, Ga.; and El Paso.

, which has a monetary goal of $320,000, promises to give 100% of donations to the families of the deceased and injured. 

"Our families have been re-victimized in the past by nonprofits that collect funds for themselves after a mass shooting saying they will 'support' or 'help' the families which is usually the verbiage used when donations do not go directly to the victim base itself," they wrote. "We will find a way to get the funds directly to the families. We always have." 

 available to people impacted by the tragedy, with in-person counseling services being offered in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and additional support 

Officials are asking mental health professionals that may be interested in volunteering their services to fill out a 

Several area hospitals advertised blood drives in the days following the shooting, according to a 

 compiled by 211. And while their needs may have since been met, they say there's still plenty of reason to give blood. 

A spokesperson for the NorthShore University HealthSystem told NPR over email on Thursday that it had received an outpouring of support from communities who wished to donate blood in the wake of the tragedy. 

"We currently have adequate blood supply to support the patients in our care," he said. "We welcome individuals who would like to donate blood to NorthShore in support of other clinical needs." 

Crime, Law and Justice

Rachel Treisman

Author

One way to help is by donating, whether to official community funds or verified fundraisers set up by families of those hurt or killed. Just be wary of scams, a city official warns. 

How to help those impacted by the Highland Park parade shooting

Go Deeper.

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