Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively give back. In recent months, they’ve donated millions ($200K to the NAACP in June, $200K to Canada’s National Indigenous History Month in June, $1 million to food banks amid the pandemic in March, $400K to New York hospitals in March, to name a few) to various social causes.
Now, they’re opening their wallets for at-risk youth in Canada. The pair donated $250K each to Covenant House Vancouver and Covenant House Toronto. The nonprofits provide homeless youth with basic needs like food and shelter, and assists with education and career goals, while also providing therapy when necessary.
In a statement, Reynolds said: “Covenant House provides love, hope and stability for at-risk youth who’ve fled physical, emotional and sexual abuse. They do the work of heroes. For us, helping Covenant House this way isn’t a donation, but an investment in compassion and empathy; something the world needs more of. 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. They have so much to offer the world.”
He urged others to donate: “Matching this gift is saying you believe in them. You believe in the power of compassion to transform the trajectory of a human being.”