Information About the Tragedy in Boston
picture from Boston.com
Our thoughts at the Waltham Public Library are with all of those who were affected by the attack in Copley Square, yesterday. For those of you who need some help or who would like to lend a hand, here is some useful information for you.
- MBTA: The green line is up and running, though Copley Square is still closed. There may be other disruptions, so please continue to monitor the MBTA site or call 617-222-3200. Riders should expect to go through security.
- Connecting with Loved Ones and Runners:
- Call the Boston Police Help Line at 617-635-4500 to get information about a loved one.
- Check for your loved one at the American Red Cross “Safe and Well” site. Likewise, if you know people are looking for you, please register yourself at that site.
- You can track runners at the Boston Marathon page.
- Mayor Menino’s Hotline: 617-635-4500
- Help with a Place to Stay:
- If you are in the area for the marathon and are unable to get home, right away, please fill out this form, supplied by Boston.com
- If you are able to provide housing for those who are delayed in getting home, please fill out this form, from Boston.com
- The Salem Waterfront Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts is offering free housing to marathon runners as long as they show their bib numbers.
- Donating Blood: The American Red Cross and area hospitals have said that they have enough blood for this particular tragedy, however there is always a need for blood donations.
- Massachusetts General Hospital Blood Donor Center, 617-726-8177
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital Blood Donor Center, 617-732-6620 or 888-LETSGIV
- Boston Children’s Hospital Half Pints Blood Donor Program, 617-355-6677
- The American Red Cross, 1-800-REDCROSS
- Financial Donations:
- American Red Cross Disaster Relief, 1-800-RED CROSS
- Donate to one of the charities highlighted by several of the marathon runners.
- The One Fund, a fund created by Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Tom Menino
- New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, the Kraft family has offered to match donations to the victims
- Boston First Responders Fund, 857-220-0133
- Avoid Charity Scams: Sadly, there are always charity scams during events like this. Read the attached article on how to avoid them here. A scam for this particular incident has involved a fake Twitter account, @_BostonMarathon (note the underscore) claiming that it will donate money for every retweet.
- Income Taxes:
- The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (state income taxes) has announced on its website that taxpayers who live in the Boston area or who have been personally affected by the attack have their filing deadline extended until April 23. Call 617-887-MDOR to find out if you are eligible.
- The Internal Revenue Service has announced on its website that it is providing a three month filing extensions for those affected by the explosions. Those who are eligible for the extension must either live in Suffolk County, be a victim of the bombings, a family member, or a first responder. For more information or to find out if you are eligible call the Local IRS number: 617-316-2850