Jay-Z and Rihanna are joining forces for a special cause. The Shawn Carter Foundation, along with Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, will be each donating $1 million for COVID-19 response efforts.
According to a press release, the combined $2 million funded by both foundations will “support undocumented workers, the children of frontline health workers and first responders, and incarcerated, elderly and homeless populations in New York City and Los Angeles.”
The funds are also “offering daycare, learning materials, food and supplies for the children of frontline healthcare workers and first responders, providing learning materials for the over 20,000 children and youth learning in shelters and virtual mental health support for parents, and ensuring child-care centers are clean, have smaller clusters of children and that all personnel are protected.”
“There are a number of populations who are especially vulnerable during this pandemic — those who are undocumented, incarcerated, elderly and homeless, as well as children of frontline health workers and first responders,” says Justine Lucas, executive director of the Clara Lionel Foundation. “Now more than ever, we need to support organizations prioritizing the health and rights of these individuals.”
Adds Gloria Carter, CEO, and co-founder of the Shawn Carter Foundation: “In times of crisis it is imperative that we come together as one community to ensure that everyone, especially the most vulnerable, has access to critical needs: shelter, health, nutrition, and education. The only way to get through this pandemic is with love and action.”