Help feed families of MSU's hospitalized students

I'm a local person raising funds to help pay for meals for the families and friends at the bedsides of 5 hospitalized shooting victims from MSU so that they may order food in as they tend to their loved ones. Those who have experienced personal tragedies understand how much it means to be able to have a simple thing like a familiar or special meal in a time of crisis.

One of those injured graduated from the same high school as my daughters. The others include two international students and a young student in the Michigan State University College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) whose family has left their livelihood in Florida to come to Michigan to be with her. The fifth hospitalized young person's home is about an hour away.

ALL funds, every penny, will go directly to the victims' families for meals, and anything left over will be dispersed directly to these families for their additional expenses as they stay by these kids' bedsides.

I'm Valerie von Frank, a community member and advocate who has lived beside Michigan State University for almost three decades. I know students, live near faculty members, have friends whose children are at MSU, and have seen many of my daughters' peers attend and graduate from this school.

In times like these, we come together to support those experiencing a tragedy and to show them they are not alone in their grief.