SAG-AFTRA Foundation and SAG-AFTRA Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund Seed Hurricane Relief Fund with $400,000 to Aid SAG-AFTRA Members Affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Organizations partner with The Actors Fund to administer the relief efforts on the ground

Los Angeles (September 11, 2017) - The SAG-AFTRA Foundation and the SAG-AFTRA Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund (MPPWF) have created a Hurricane Relief Fund specifically to provide financial support to SAG-AFTRA members affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation seeded the Hurricane Relief Fund with $200,000 and the SAG-AFTRA MPPWF matched the contribution for a total initial assistance pool of $400,000. The organizations will be reaching out to the entire 160,000 SAG-AFTRA membership for additional contributions and donations to the emergency relief fund.

The Actors Fund has partnered with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and SAG-AFTRA MPPWF in this critical effort to provide the social services and coordinate the grant reviews and approvals.The process has been streamlined to speed relief to those in need and consists of a quick, confidential application and consultation to establish need. During the consultation, the social services professionals at The Actors Fund will also assess each applicant’s need for additional assistance, programs or services.

SAG-AFTRA members are eligible to apply for the Hurricane Relief Fund if they are currently active and have paid their dues through April 30, 2017, and have been affected by either Harvey or Irma. Affected and eligible members may apply by contacting The Actors Fund intake services directly:

For those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, contact The Actors Fund’s Los Angeles Office -- (323) 933-9244, ext. 455 or intakela@actorsfund.org

For those impacted by Hurricane Irma, contact The Actors Fund’s New York City Office -- (212) 221-7300 ext. 119 or intakeny@actorsfund.org

“As a Texan, the shocking images and devastating aftermath of Harvey, and now Irma, have really hit home. We are heartbroken for our fellow Americans, and our own SAG-AFTRA family, whose homes and lives have been upended because they happen to live in the paths of these unprecedented disasters. Our concern is not only for their safety, but also for what lies ahead,” said SAG-AFTRA Foundation President and actor JoBeth Williams. “We’re here to lend a helping hand to SAG-AFTRA members in their time of need. We have to take care of each other.”

“We are grateful to the SAG-AFTRA MPPWF for matching our seed money and to The Actors Fund for administering the services on the ground to SAG-AFTRA members in dire need,” said SAG-AFTRA Foundation Executive Director Cyd Wilson. “We are now focused on raising additional funds for our hurricane relief effort because the ultimate costs to rebuild are staggering.”

“These historic hurricanes have had devastating consequences for SAG-AFTRA members across the entire region.  We’re grateful to partner with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and The Actors Fund on this important effort to provide emergency relief to affected SAG-AFTRA members,” said SAG-AFTRA MPPWF Chair Maureen Donnelly.

“Our social work teams are working hard, as always, to provide timely and compassionate assistance for SAG-AFTRA members impacted by these tragic storms,” said Joe Benincasa, President of The Actors Fund. “The swift response of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and SAG-AFTRA MPPWF will help assure The Actors Fund is there for all members who need us and we’re truly grateful for this partnership.”

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is accepting donations directed to the Hurricane Relief Fund from individuals and corporate donors who wish to help provide support to hard-hit SAG-AFTRA members in the affected areas. Contributions can be made at sagaftrafoundation.org/donate.

Every donation counts, big or small, and all donations will provide direct assistance to hard-hit SAG-AFTRA members in the affected regions.

About SAG-AFTRA Foundation
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public at large through its signature children’s literacy programs. The Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. For more information, visit sagaftrafoundation.org.

About SAG-AFTRA Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund
The SAG-AFTRA Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund provides emergency financial assistance and enhances the welfare, training, education and artistic life of the performer. SAG-AFTRA MPPWF emergency financial assistance is available to members in the New York region and the following locals: Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Michigan, Missouri Valley, Nashville, New England, New Orleans, New York, Ohio-Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Twin Cities and Washington-Mid Atlantic. Visit sagaftra.org/mppwf.

About The Actors Fund
The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone—performers and those behind the scenes—who works in performing arts and entertainment. Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, The Fund’s programs include social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and employment and training services. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Actors Fund is a safety net for those in need, crisis or transition. Visit actorsfund.org.