DUBAI: Part-Palestinian model Gigi Hadid took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post urging her followers to donate to US hunger relief organization Feeding America to help food banks respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Thinking of everyone living paycheck to paycheck that cannot go to work, in a country that does not guarantee sick leave, is not pausing student debt collections, planning for mortgage/rent relief right now,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories, adding a link to the donation page on her swipe up.
A number of celebrities are continuing to make public and private donations in a bid to alleviate the economic impact of the spread of the infectious disease, which has claimed thousands of lives across the globe.
Moroccan-Egyptian-Dutch model Imaan Hammam also decided to use her social media platform to make a difference, asking her 879,000 followers to donate money to support the non-profit hunger relief organization.
“Please donate to an organization like @feedingamerica which is helping lower income kids and teens (who rely on meals at school) get fed during this time when schools are closed,” she wrote. “You can donate or volunteer or help assemble meals for families who are preparing to stay at home,” she added.
Since the identification of the coronavirus on Jan. 7 in the Chinese port city of Wuhan, more than 160,000 people have tested positive, of whom over 6,500 have died. As confirmed cases of the coronavirus continue to increase, countries could face an overwhelming burden on their emergency and medical services.
Lebanese blogger Lana El-Sahely took to Instagram to raise awareness on this pressing concern.
El-Sahely shared a link to a donation page for the Lebanese Red Cross, saying: “Literally if you can help with just $1. Every single person counts. Every donation counts. They are not only risking their health but they are taking the best measures to take all the coronavirus cases to the hospital.”