Matthew and Camila McConaughey are providing aid to first responders amid the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak has brought upon a financial crisis, and local governments are having difficulty acquiring supplies of personal protective equipment gear such as surgical masks and medical gloves.
The couple teamed up with Bethenny Frankel’s disaster relief initiative BStrong to ensure that frontliners across the country have all the supplies they need to keep themselves safe throughout this health crisis.
Due to high demand, sourcing medical gear has been difficult for everyone. Thankfully, Camila and Matthew were able to procure 80,000 masks, which are a combination of surgical and KN95 masks. The supplies will benefit frontliners in Austin and New Orleans.
“It was important for us to make sure that here in Austin, not just the hospitals got them, but also the police department and the fire department as well. In this moment, we’ve got to find ways to help both sides because they’re all on the front line right now and we can’t afford to lose any of them,” Camila told PEOPLE.
On Thursday, Camila and Matthew went out and personally dropped off the donations at the Police Department, Fire Department, and Sheriff’s Department in Austin. The couple lives in the city together with their three children.
“We’re doing in-person delivery because I need to know the quality control is there,” Camila said.
The frontline heroes in New Orleans will be getting their share of the supplies in the next few days. The Women of Today founder declined to disclose the monetary contribution her family had to make to get the supplies. Instead, she said that she wants to inspire action in others.
“This is not about raising the hand and saying, ‘Hey, I’ve put this much money in it.’ This is about raising the hand and making people aware that this exists,” the model and designer said.
To date, BStrong has assisted 15 states and distributed more than 17.5 million masks to those who need it the most. The organization plans on supplying more than 200 medical facilities in the country. Camila said it was important for her to participate in a project where she could actually see where the donations are going.
During this global and financial crisis, sourcing 80,000 masks haven’t been easy. Camila said she spent two weeks talking to different manufacturers in the United States and China. But none of them gave her the level of confidence to make a substantial monetary donation with them. Thankfully, she came across BStrong and decided it was the group she was going to support. Evidently, she made the right choice.
“It was very clear to me that the work BStrong is doing is happening, it’s the right thing and 100 percent of the money you put into it goes towards getting the items,” she said.
It’s so great to see celebrities doing their part in easing the burdens of the government and our frontliners. Thank you for your generosity, Camila and Matthew!
Watch the video below as the couple give their donations to the frontliners:
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