In response to the horrific and hate-fueled shooting at a supermarket located in the predominantly Black community of Kingsley in Buffalo, NY, the Weinberg Foundation has announced a total of $250,000 in emergency grants to organizations that are assisting victims and community members impacted by this tragedy.
On May 14, 2022, a self-described white nationalist entered a supermarket in the Kingsley neighborhood, injuring 13 people and killing 10 of them; 11 of the victims were Black. Before the attack, the shooter posted a manifesto which espoused both racist and antisemitic views and explained that he chose this store and zip code due to the high percentage of Black people living there. This act of domestic terrorism is appalling, and we mourn the lives lost and the trauma inflicted on so many.
The Weinberg Foundation’s emergency funding package consists of the following grants:
- $100,000 to the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County (United Way) – The United Way and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo have established the Buffalo Together Community Response Fund, which is a collaboration of local philanthropic organizations focused on collectively responding to this tragedy. The group has established guidelines that will prioritize input from individuals and communities of color in distributing funds to meet immediate and long-term needs. Weinberg Foundation funding is intended to support local, Black-led nonprofit organizations that are meeting the needs of individuals on the ground.
- $50,000 to FeedMore WNY – FeedMore WNY is partnering with the Resource Council of Western New York (WNY) to distribute food donations to community members impacted by this tragedy. Through its food bank distribution center and partner hunger-relief agencies, as well as its home-delivered meal program and other targeted food programs, FeedMore WNY meets the food security needs of low-income individuals and families in the Kingsley neighborhood and throughout Buffalo.
- $50,000 to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) – The SPLC monitors hate groups and other extremists throughout the United States and exposes their activities to the public, the media, and law enforcement. Specifically, SPLC works in partnership with communities to fight white supremacy and is an essential organization in the fight against the Great Replacement Theory and other racist, hateful, and conspiratorial disinformation that led to this deadly act of terrorism.
- $50,000 to the Antidefamation League (ADL) – The ADL is a leader in tracking and combatting hate crimes related to antisemitism and white supremacy. ADL’s Center on Extremism (“COE”) has been working closely with law enforcement over the past few days and is providing educational resources for the public. ADL personnel remain on the ground in providing information to the local and national media and meeting with faith leaders, civic leaders, law enforcement, and others in responding to this tragedy.
The Weinberg Foundation’s response to other recent emergencies and disasters includes $1 million in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; $18 million in COVID emergency funding to existing grantees; $250,000 in response to the 2021 US multi-state tornado outbreak; $100,000 to support those affected by the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers condo building in Florida; $200,000 in response to the 2020 wildfires in Northern California; $1.2 million in response to the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting; and $500,000 each in the wake of 2017 hurricanes Irma (in Florida) and Harvey (in Texas). The Foundation has also supported Israel in times of crisis, including $500,000 in emergency relief during the 2012 missile attacks in Israel and $700,000 for services supporting those affected by the Gaza conflict in 2014.
