The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has donated $500,000 to the non-profit organization Help Refugees, which provides humanitarian aid to refugees around the world.
Helen Mirren presented the grant Sunday at the HFPA’s annual philanthropic celebration at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
“This is a group of people who are unafraid of rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty,” Mirren said. “Since 2015, they have responded to urgent needs and acted where large NGO’s can’t or won’t go.”
HFPA’s President Meher Tatna added: “The HFPA’s annual Cannes event has become a platform for us to raise awareness of humanitarian organizations that are working to make our world a better place. We are thrilled to recognize the work of Help Refugees, an organization working tirelessly on the frontlines to provide aid and support to a crisis that is at an all-time high.”
For over 25 years, the HFPA has donated more than $33 million to charities and humanitarian efforts. Licensing fees from the annual Golden Globes have allowed the HFPA to support over 80 nonprofits.
“This is real, real, life saving and changing stuff… there are currently 68.5 million displaced people in the world and half of them are children,” Help Refugees co-founder and CEO Josie Naughton said. “This is the biggest refugee crisis since WW11.”
Alejandro Iñárritu, Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, Rose McGowan and Camila Morrone also attended the event.