An unspeakable tragedy occurred at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester, U.K. on Monday night. After reports of explosions going off at the end of the pop star's show, devastating images and videos flooded social media depicting the aftermath. So far, there are 19 confirmed fatalities and 60+ more said to be injured.
It feels impossible to imagine that any good can come out of such senseless losses. It does help, though, to look for a glimmer of light in the midst of such dark moments. Fred Rodgers, the host of Mr. Rodger's neighborhood put it best. "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” This has certainly been the case after the explosion's at Ariana Grande's concert.
The citizens of Manchester and the surrounding area are coming together on social media to help in any way they can. They're using the hashtags #Manchester and #RoomforManchester to help people find a safe place to sleep, recoup, or find children they were separated from. The Holiday Inn and Premier Inn are taking in lost children and keeping them safe until they can be reunited with their parents. Other good samaritans are offering to take stranded people in after the explosions.
People are already seeing positive results from this massive social media effort, as well. After posting photos of their missing friends and family on Twitter, following along with these hashtags, people in attendance at the concert have already been reunited with lost loved ones.
As we keep everybody affected by Monday night's events in our hearts and prayers, it's comforting to know that those close to tragedy are doing what they can to offer assistance.
Photo: Getty Images