LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Two initiatives to financially assist Los Angeles residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic have reached their goals, one with the help of a $3 million donation, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday.
Through the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, the Grocery Intervention for Vital Emergency Needs initiative, which received the multi-million-dollar donation, met its goal of giving 10,000 households $300 in cash to help families buy groceries and basic necessities, Garcetti announced in his COVID-19 briefing Wednesday afternoon.
"This donation and the donations of so many of you — whether it was $5, or $25 or $125 or more — it's a testament to the Angelenos spirit, to how we lead with love, and we're deeply grateful," Garcetti said.
The name of the person or organization making the $3 million donation was not released.
A second initiative, the Secure Emergency Relief for Vulnerable Employees, which raises money to give restaurant workers $800 in cash assistance, has met its initial goal of giving to 4,000 workers, according to Garcetti.
The assistance was delivered Monday, and 75% of recipients accessed the funds in the first 36 hours, which Garcetti called "a painful sign of the profound needs of so many in our city."
Ten thousand people donated to the initiatives, and Garcetti asked people to keep giving.
"If you're last-minute shopping for presents, throw in 300 bucks for a family to have groceries or help a restaurant worker get through these times."
People who want to donate to the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles can visit mayorsfundla.org/covid19.
Garcetti also announced that 11 artists, including a sixth-grader, have been added to the city's initiative using local artists to remind Angelenos to wear masks to attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Anyone can download and print a poster to display in windows at their home or store. The gallery can be viewed here.
"With case counts skyrocketing and COVID-19 surging, wearing a mask remains one of the most powerful and effective ways to fight this virus and stop its spread," Garcetti said.
"By bringing new voices to the L.A. Mask Print Project and highlighting the creativity of a diverse array of Angelenos, we are reaffirming a central message: we can only defeat this pandemic together, with everyone doing their part, playing a role, and contributing to the effort to save lives."