As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the hospital workers, law enforcement and food providers workingto stop the spread of COVID-19 are in desperate need of critical supplies, and vulnerable workers out of jobs because of the crisis need help.
Many in Hollywood, music, tech, fashion and media have contributed in ways big and small to efforts supporting people affected by — and fighting against — coronavirus, from fundraisers for first responders and charities for furloughed artists and freelancers, to pro bono online concerts or storytime for kids stuck at home.
Below, see our list — which we’ll be updating — of what people across the entertainment industry are doing to help deal with the pandemic:
CAA Foundation, Harvard, Thrive Global
The CAA Foundation partnered with Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global to start an initiative called #FirstRespondersFirst. The initiative will specifically raise funds for first responders ranging from minimum-wage hourly workers in home-care settings to social workers, nurses and physicians. CAA Foundation made a financial donation to kick off the initiative and will leverage its social influencers in order to get the word out and raise charitable donations.
Christian Siriano, Dov Charney, Brandon Maxwell
Fashion designer Christian Siriano and Dov Charney, a manufacturer and former head of American Apparel, each dedicated their resources to help sew and produce more hospital masks for healthcare providers, of which there are a grave shortage in the country. Siriano shared photos to Twitter of some of the prototypes he was developing, dedicating his 10 seamstresses to produce thousands a week, while Charney aims to use his factories to produce 300,000 masks and 50,000 gowns in a week, according to figures in the New York Times. Similarly, designer Brandon Maxwell is working on creating gowns for medical workers, doing so all while everyone is working from home.
TV Medical Dramas
TV medical dramas like Fox’s “The Resident,” NBC’s “New Amsterdam” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Good Doctor” and “Station 19” donated N95 masks and other supplies that they use for their respective productions to hospitals and fire stations in need. Several of the shows were forced to delay or suspend production due to the coronavirus and gave their unused props and supplies directly to the hospitals where the shows often film. “The Resident” was among the shows that gathered its cast (virtually) to talk about the severity of the disease, which you can watch here.
And it’s not even just medical dramas. Ryan Murphy’s “Pose” had a medical set used for the show’s third season and donated all of its props to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. And the Fox series “Filthy Rich” is also lending a hand by donating more than 5 pallets of goods from its set in New Orleans. The donations, including cleaning supplies, toiletries, food and baby products, were divided between Community Kitchen and Nola Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group.
Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Twitter that the tech giant would be donating two million industrial, N95 respirator masks to health professionals both in the U.S. and Europe. And the company also allocated an additional $15 million to “help treat those who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic.” “To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you,” Cook said.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
People reported that husband and wife Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa donated $1 million to both the New York governor’s office in order to purchase desperately needed ventilators and to WIN, a New York-based organization that provides shelters to homeless women and children.
Rihanna
TMZ reported that Rihanna’s charitable organization Clara Lionel Foundation made a commitment of $5 million that will go to U.S. food banks as well as to helping advance testing in at-risk communities both in the U.S. and in Haiti and Malawi.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively
Husband and wife Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated $1 million together to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada that help provide meals to older adults or low income families. Others who have since donated to Feeding America or other regional food banks have included Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake and Vanessa Hudgens.
Bethenny Frankel
“The Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel offered to donate more than 1 million face masks to U.S. hospitals and clinics through her B Strong non-profit organization. The group is working directly with local governments to avoid other middle men that are marking up the price of protective masks, and it has also developed Corona Kits for people in need complete with hand sanitizer, a hydration kit, gloves and even a cash card for emergencies.