With shelter in place orders in effect all over the country, homeless populations are left at risk of contracting COVID-19 significantly more than those of us that can weather the storm from the comfort of our homes. A group of entertainment industry workers in Los Angeles have come together to help provide critical supplies to homeless populations in California and around the country.
CULT For Good, a project started by the award winning independent rapper Elijah Daniel began with the intention of helping the homeless by providing critical supplies like PPE, hand sanitizer, and even water bottles purchased from shut down event spaces around Los Angeles. Using donations to help purchase these goods from shut down venues, CULT For Good helps venue owners earn some cash during this critical time while helping the community. With the help of pivotal figures in the music industry, the group has helped thousands of people stay safe and healthy during this critical time.
Jen Stein, a member of CULT For Good that works as an artist manager in Los Angeles, now serves as the organizations Chief Operating Officer and works directly in the field supplying critical goods to members of the community, as well as organizing groups of people to do things like make face masks and other home-made products that can serve a purpose at this time.
With festival season at a halt, music industry workers are faced with added time. To fill their time, they’ve turned toward humanitarian work.
“When festivals started getting canceled, I saw all of the people I work with in the event space lose their incomes,” Stein said in a statement. “These are the people who know how to get things done and work under pressure, and with the government failing to help in this time of need, we want to close the gap with people who are experts at handling logistics,” said Stein.
With the help of the local community, CULT For Good has managed to deliver critical goods to those in need all over Los Angeles and other cities, with plans to expand to more locations in the coming weeks. In Detroit, a local bar called Charlie’s Bar has donated its space to serve as a fulfillment center to help CULT For Good prepare to dispatch goods in the area as soon as possible.
Also included in the care packages is Narcan, a life-saving overdose drug that can help prevent overdose deaths when taken immediately. Doses of Narcan were donated by a group called The Voices Project to be included in care packages that go to homeless people around the country.
As of Friday, the organization has delivered over 200,000 supplies to homeless populations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Berkeley.
Companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Truck and U-haul have donated vans to help transport goods around to individuals, while others have donated their time to distribute goods and make masks—as many as 90,000 masks, to be specific. Trucks alone have delivered as many as 100,000 care packages in a matter of days, and the organization has created a strong network of individuals that have donated their time to help assure everyone in their community is safe and taken car of at this time.
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, at-risk groups are facing particular hardship in such a stressful time. With first responders and medical professionals already facing an influx of new patients, it’s up to local communities and organizations like CULT For Good to assure that everyone—not just their friends and family—are safe and healthy. To find out how to get involved with CULT For Good, or even just donate to the organization, check out their website here.
