Updated: Prayer, Donations, Education: Ways You Can Help Victims of the Temple Shooting

People are coming together to support victims of a mass shooting Sunday at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, through prayer and donations. 

The Sikh community, through the City of Oak Creek, released this statement on Facebook:

A message from the Oak Creek Sikh Community to everyone who has graciously offered their gift of time, talets and contributions. 

• If you wish to donate food, please donate to your local food pantry.
• If you wish to send flowers, please send them to your own local place of worship or your local Sikh Temple.
• If you are moved to volunteer, donate your time and talent in your community.
• We encourage you to honor the victims by volunteering in your own place of worship or your local Sikh Temple.

The service is open to the public.

If you are looking for other ways to get involved, here is how you can help:

Vigils

Vigils are being held in and around the Oak Creek area.

At Monday's press conference temple members invited the public to pray with them at 7 p.m. that night at the Brookfield Sikh Temple, 3675 N. Calhoun Road. The Oak Creek Community United Methodist Church, 8675 S. 13th St., is holding an outdoor prayer vigil at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the church. A , and a call has gone out on Facebook encouraging people to wear blue and white in honor of the victims.

Donations

A website set up by the family of Temple President Satwant Singh Kaleka, who was shot and killed while attempting to take down the shooter, is collecting contribution for lower-income families who lost loved ones, those injured in the shooting, and to repairing the temple.

A fund to help the victims of the shooting has been set up at Tri City National Bank, temple members said during a press conference at the Oak Creek Salvation Army. Donations can be made at bank branches, or find information about how to donate by calling the bank. 

Contributions to the temple can also be sent online, through a group of supporters using the website indigogo to manage the donations. 

The website www.indiegogo.com/Milwaukee-Sikh is an attempt to raise donations for the families of the killed and wounded to help cover the medical costs, funeral expenses, psychological counseling and sustaining the lives of the victims' families. They have set a $75,000 goal. 

The group does not know the precise needs but they plan to work closely with the local Sikh community and doctors to determine the best way to distribute funds.

An independent web developer named Jim Spice set up a website, www.sikhhelp.org, to also help raise funds for the Sikh community.   

"During Hurricane Katrina, I watched helplessly as New Orleans sat stranded day after day," Spice wrote on the site. "I vowed that if tragedy ever struck where I could do something to help, I would not wait. I set up this website, and created a PayPal account."

Donate directly to the temple by sending donations to:

Victims Memorial Fund
Sikh Temple of Wisconsin
7512 S. Howell Ave
Oak Creek, WI 53154

Waukesha Patch is reporting a group of . 

Sikh Education

The Sikh community is calling on people across the nation to education themselves about the Sikh religion.

Groups have asked the media, government and the Sikh community to help clear up misinformation about Sikhi that propagates a negative perception on the community.

The son of the slain temple president pleaded with people, asking them to educate themselves.

“Let’s get the education out there and acknowledge who we are and we come from,” said Amardeep Kaleka, at the press conference. “We hope that you guys understand that there are no words for their actions.”

Social Media

A number of Facebook pages have been popping up in support. 

There are pages in remembrance of the victims, the wounded police officer, donations and general information.