Heal Orlando, a task force of LGBT leaders in Orlando, is pointing donors toward just two funds: OneOrlando and Pulse of Orlando. Pulse of Orlando is a 501c3 endorsed by Pulse with the goal of filling any gaps in financial needs for Pulse staff and others affected by the shooting.
On June 30, Aly Benitez, Pulse of Orlando board president, and Sharlie Reynolds, treasurer, distributed $28,500 to 38 Pulse employees. The recipients were vetted through an application process and funds distributed on an as-needed basis.
“We don’t have some of those same barriers that the city would have with the OneOrlando fund,” Benitez says. “We can expeditiously allocate those funds to the people who need it quickly.”
She says they’ve raised more than $50,000 through events and PayPal donations at their website, PulseOfOrlando.org, and they have several more events lined up over the next few months.
“I know there’s a lot of people out there that are just concerned, with all these t-shirts popping up, where’s that money going? It’s not even telling you where the money’s going and it’s a big concern right now. People can be confident that when they donate to Pulse of Orlando, the money is going where it is needed,” Benitez says.
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