Hollywood multi-hyphenate Rihanna has been at the forefront of making sure the needs of underprivileged communities are being met in the midst of the crisis. Through her non-profit organization, the Clara Lionel Foundation, she has made a number of donations to relief efforts. Last Thursday (March 26), Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed that the Barbadian mogul had donated personal protective equipment to the state of New York, which has become the epicenter of the crisis in America since the pandemic swept across the globe. The city has reached more than 75,795 confirmed cases, per CNN’s latest tally. 

On Tuesday (March 31), the non-profit organization announced it will be donating an additional $1 million to COVID-19 relief efforts in New York City and Los Angeles. Their contribution will be matched by Roc Nation entrepreneurial mogul Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation. The combined $2 million will support undocumented workers, the childen of frontline healthworkers and first responders, and incarcerated, elderly and homeless populations in both cities amid the pandemic. As outlined by CLF’s official website, the aid will go toward the following: 

• Offering daycare, learning materials, food and supplies for the children of frontline healthcare workers and first responders;


• Providing learning materials for the more than 20,000 children and youth learning in shelters and virtual mental health support for parents;


• Ensuring child care centers are clean and that all personnel are protected;


• Supporting the expansion of home-delivered meals for the elderly and meals for homeless populations in emergency shelters;


• Providing emergency economic support and the expansion of rights for immigrants and undocumented workers;


• Advocating for free testing and treatment for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status; and,


• Provision of legal support to protect members of marginalized populations, including advocating for people to be released from jail and detention, encouraging voting and civic engagement during the COVID-19 response period and protecting immigrant communities

The move comes after the Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5 million to on-the-ground workers that are at the frontlines fighting against the coronavirus pandemic within marginalized communities across the U.S., Caribbean and Africa. 

Justine Lucas, CLF’s Executive Director said, “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. Now more than ever, we need to support organizations prioritizing the health and rights of these individuals.”

In a statement obtained by Billboard, the Shawn Carter Foundation’s CEO and co-founder, Gloria Carter, added that “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.”

Read the rest of the details here.