BUFFALO, N.Y. — The distribution of $6.45 million to the Buffalo May 14 mass shooting victims starts Monday.

The Steering Committee of the National Compassion Fund says this financial assistance will not bring back the victims, nor make survivors whole. However, they hope to provide the recipients with some comfort.

The funds will go directly to 169 applicants approved by the committee. These are families of the victims, survivors or people who were traumatized by the tragic event.

The committee says more than 13,000 donors across Western New York and beyond supported the fund.

The allocation of the money comes after the committee incorporated feedback from a public town hall meeting in July into a final protocol about eligibility and distribution.