Rihanna’s foundation donates $5 million to help fight coronavirus

Rihanna’s foundation has donated $5 million to various organizations assisting with coronavirus relief efforts.

The Clara Lionel Foundation announced the donation in a statement on Saturday.

“When we first began this year, never could we have imagined how (the coronavirus) would so dramatically alter our lives,” the foundation said.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, this pandemic will affect us all. And for the world’s most vulnerable, the worst may be yet to come.”

The foundation donated the money to Direct Relief, Feeding America, Partners in Health, The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the International Rescue Committee, among others.

The foundation said its goal is “to immediately mobilize a broad response working with on-the-ground partners.”

The funds will go towards local food banks, accelerating testing in countries like Haiti and Malawi, and protective equipment for frontline health workers.

The donation will also help protect Native communities by providing them with resources to fight the virus.

Rihanna started the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012. The nonprofit organization, named in honor of her grandparents, funds education and emergency response programs around the world.

Other celebrities — including Justin Timberlake, Donatella Versace and many NBA players — have also donated funds to help schools, hospitals and food banks overwhelmed by the pandemic.