How Stars & Fashion Designers Are Giving Back Amid the Coronavirus Crisis

Celebrities are stepping up and giving back in some creative ways amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Shawn Mendes is helping out his hometown of Toronto by donating to SickKids Hospital. The Shawn Mendes Foundation's $175,000 gift went straight to needed equipment and supplies that will help with screening and prevention of COVID-19.

While communities across the country close down bars and restaurants, Ryan Reynolds is helping out-of-work bartenders by donating proceeds from his Aviation Gin company. He tweeted, “Until May 1st, for every bottle of Aviation ordered online, we'll donate 30% of proceeds as a tip to your bartenders - who REALLY miss you btw. Visit https://AviationGin.com/delivered #TipYourBartenders #StayHomeSaveLives”

Previously, Ryan and his wife Blake Lively made a generous donation to keep people fed during these tough times. Reynolds tweeted, “Blake & I are donating $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. If you can give, these orgs need our help.”

With so many Americans out of work, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell are giving their tenants a break next month, reports TMZ. Apparently, the star couple owns multiple buildings in L.A., and the sweet landlords just let their renters know via their property manager that they are waiving April rent.

James Taylor and his wife Kim are also helping give back in a big way. They just donated $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital. The money will go to purchasing supplies, repurposing space, research and more.

Meanwhile, basketball players like Zion Williamson and Kevin Love are covering salaries for stadium employees who were forced to stay home when the NBA canceled the rest of the season.

It was previously reported that medical dramas like “Grey's Anatomy” and “New Amsterdam” have donated their extra masks, gowns, and more to local hospitals and first responders, and now the fashion industry is helping out, too.

Recently, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that the state needed help, and “Project Runway” alum Christian Siriano answered.

The governor wrote, “NY has a critical need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gloves, gowns and masks — as well as ventilators. If you have or can make any of these supplies, New York is buying… Help us share this far and wide!”

Christian replied, “If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks my team will make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help.”

Since then, his team has been hard at work making supplies, and so have others. Across the globe, designers are stepping up. Brandon Maxwell and his company are starting with gowns, while Prada is also making masks and overalls for the Tuscany region. Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra Versace Beck donated 200,000 euros to Milan's San Raffaele Hospital.

Husband-and-wife team Janine and Richard Wallace of Cartwright Bag have also stepped up and will now be using their factory and savings to make N95 masks. The first shipment could go out to nearby New Jersey hospitals as early as next week.

They are committed to making 10,000, but are hoping customers can help them manufacture more. The company, which makes lockable bags, will use 100 percent of proceeds from purchases through April 30 for making masks.