The Directors Guild Foundation announced on Wednesday that it is making a $100,000 donation to the Motion Picture and Television Fund to support entertainment workers financially strained by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“Our film crews are our work family. We need to help everyone who’s suffering,” said Directors Guild Foundation chairman Todd Holland said in a statement. “The DGA Foundation supports the vital mission of the MPTF to support the crews who work alongside us with crucially important financial assistance. The need is so great, and we are glad the Directors Guild Foundation can help meet the challenge.”
The DGF’s contribution comes two weeks after MPTF president/CEO Bob Beitcher sent out an open letter urging Hollywood to provide more support to the organization in its efforts to provide financial grants to workers struggling to make ends meet. The DGA and the DGF have been regular contributors to the MPTF’s relief fund.
“The generous support of MPTF and the community it serves by the DGA and the DGA Foundation is a true blessing to our industry,” Beitcher said. “Our appreciation is immense.”
The DGF and MPTF are also partnering to provide emergency grants to Directors Guild members facing financial difficulties during the strike. The DGA is also offering a free interim health plan to members at risk of losing their healthcare coverage and allowing members to borrow from their supplemental pension plan.
Since the Writers Guild of America began its strike on May 1, Hollywood’s unions and top names have contributed millions to the MPTF and other support groups such as the Entertainment Community Fund to help working-class crew members and others get through the months-long work stoppage.
Among the contributions have been $4 million from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees to the MPTF and other aid groups, along with donations to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation‘s emergency relief fund from actors like Meryl Streep and Dwayne Johnson.
All entertainment workers looking for financial relief are encouraged to call the MPTF hotline at (323) 634-3888 or check the MPTF website for more information.
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