Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donate $500,000 to support homeless youth in Canada

One of Hollywood’s most famous couples donated $500,000 to help young people struggling with homelessness in Canada.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively pledged $250,000 each to Covenant House Vancouver and Covenant House Toronto, according a press release.

Covenant House International says it has served more than a million homeless youth in the United States, Canada and Latin America as a bridge from poverty to opportunity, according to their own statistics.

Besides providing basic needs like food, shelter and immediate health services, the organization said it tries to prepare homeless kids to live successful and independent lives. The non-profit also helps support young people who are victims of sex trafficking.

“The young people who pass through the doors of Covenant House more often than not have a story marked by extraordinary trauma. They are so much more than that trauma,” Reynolds said in a statement, encouraging others to donate.

“They have so much to offer the world. Matching this gift is saying you believe in them. You believe in the power of compassion to transform the trajectory of a human being.”

This is not the first time the celebrity couple has donated to a social cause. In March, they donated $1 million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada to help feed those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

In June, Lively and Reynolds also donated $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) amid protests against police brutality.