Oregon Shooting: Nonprofit Founded After Virginia Tech Offers Support

Image, courtesy of VTV Foundation Facebook.

The families of Virginia Tech victims are extending support to everyone affected by the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, according to an October 1st statement by the VTV Family Outreach Foundation.

The VTV Family Outreach Foundation, based in Centreville, Virginia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by the families and survivors directly impacted by the April 16, 2007 tragedy at Virginia Tech where 32 lives were lost.

“Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with all affected by today’s shooting at Umpqua Community College,” stated Joe Samaha, President of VTV, in the press release. “We stand ready to assist the families of the victims, survivors and Roseburg community in any way they need.”

The Foundation’s mission is determination “to prevent a similar tragedy”, so it advocates for K-12 and higher education campus safety and security.

As part of the VTV’s mission and strategic plan, they also established an outreach program called the Crisis Response Team (CRT).

VTV family and staff members were trained by the National Organization of Victims Assistance in victims’ advocacy.

The CRT can provide assistance in response to school shootings and the team provides assistance to the victims of incidents of mass school violence and similar tragedies, upon request and has offered to do so.

In August, VTV also launched a campus safety program called 32 National Campus Safety Initiative or 32 NCSI. The first phase provides colleges with a series of free, confidential, online self-assessment tools offering the first-ever comprehensive view of their safety and security posture. Areas assessed include mental health, threat assessment, and emergency management.

“As we saw at UCC, the perpetrators of school shootings usually signal their intentions publicly without any intervention,” added Samaha. “There needs to be a culture shift to proactive behavior; when you see something, please say something.”