Blackstone contributes $15 million to COVID-19 relief efforts in New York
Today, Blackstone announced a $15 million donation to coronavirus relief efforts in New York.
Blackstone is contributing $10 million to the New York State COVID-19 First Responders Fund, which will deploy emergency aid and resources where they are needed most. The fund will also support food, transportation and housing assistance for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.
… We are also going to set up a fund run by the Department of Health to assist the healthcare workers with expenses, costs, childcare, etc. I want to thank Blackstone for making the first contribution to that fund of $10 million.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Additionally, the firm is donating $5 million to organizations providing food security and resources for New Yorkers in need. City Harvest, World Central Kitchen, Great Performances and Slice Out Hunger are all working to provide meals for healthcare workers, first responders and other vulnerable populations. Contributions to our nonprofit partners such as Coalition for the Homeless, Union Settlement and Covenant House New York, among others, have helped provide critical support to at-risk communities affected by COVID-19. Covenant House wrote about how the donation will strengthen their relief efforts in a recent blog post, which you can read here. You can also read Blackstone’s full announcement on the donation here.
In recent weeks, Blackstone has also donated essential scarce supplies like hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, tissues and more to nonprofit partners Ronald McDonald House New York, God’s Love We Deliver and others who serve under-resourced populations across NYC.
Many of our portfolio companies have also stepped up in recent weeks to help address this crisis, including NEC Group lending their exhibition venue to the UK’s NHS to be used as a field hospital. You can learn more about efforts across our portfolio here.
