Shawn Batey was sweating in the August sun on the , carrying her B次元官网网址淚ATSE SolidarityB次元官网网址� sign on the picket line outside NetflixB次元官网网址檚 New York offices, but she was glad to be there.

A props assistant and documentary filmmaker, Batey is a member of the the union that represents most Hollywood crew members, and has recently worked and But since the writers strike began in May on July 14, Batey has had trouble covering her expenses B次元官网网址� so she applied to the emergency fund from the Entertainment Community Fund for help.

B次元官网网址淭hey say apply when youB次元官网网址檙e at a critical point,B次元官网网址� said Batey, adding that she needed to show her union card, her wages and, in her case, that sheB次元官网网址檇 worked as a member of the union for a certain number of years. The application is lengthy, but she said, B次元官网网址淚t is definitely worth for people to apply. Just be patient.B次元官网网址�

Batey B次元官网网址� who used her grant to pay her rent, phone bill and electric bill, and other expenses B次元官网网址� is one of 2,600 film or television workers that the Entertainment Community Fund has helped during these strikes, granting $5.4 million as of Aug. 25. The fund, formerly known as The Actors Fund, is one of several nonprofits that have long supported but who were essentially long before the term was coined. That includes both unionized and nonunionized workers, and those on strike as well as those

The fund has received the most requests for help from people followed and ItB次元官网网址檚 raised $7.6 million so far and is granting about $500,000 a week. For now, itB次元官网网址檚 issuing one-time grants of up to $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for families.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a lot of the crafts people, the wardrobe people, the makeup people, the carpenters that build the sets, the painters, the electricians,B次元官网网址� said Tom Exton, chief advancement officer for the Entertainment Community Fund. He said the fund has supported industry members through including the AIDS epidemic and financial crisis, and would continue to fundraise to provide help as needed.

Another charity created more than 100 years ago to help entertainment workers get through through tough periods, helps administer funds from some of the unions to provide emergency assistance specifically for their members. It declined to disclose the amount of financial support its received from those unions. The fund also to unaffiliated workers and offers housing to industry veterans over the age of 70.

Bob Beitcher, its president and CEO, said many of the lowest-paid entertainment workers have little savings or reserves The federal programs and protections, like eviction moratoriums that helped keep entertainment workers and many others afloat during COVID-19 shutdowns, also arenB次元官网网址檛 around now.

B次元官网网址淭hey are losing their homes. TheyB次元官网网址檙e losing their cars and trucks. TheyB次元官网网址檙e losing their health insurance,B次元官网网址� Beitcher said. B次元官网网址淎nd itB次元官网网址檚 pretty awful.B次元官网网址�

Striking actors and writers of purposefully prolonging the strike so that they lose their homes.

MPTF has been getting 200 calls a day as opposed to 20 a day before the strike. Over 80% of callers are B次元官网网址渂elow-the-lineB次元官网网址� workers, meaning not the actors, writers, directors or producers. TheyB次元官网网址檝e processed 1,000 requests for financial assistance through the end of July, the fund said, with applicants waiting an average of two weeks for the money to be dispersed.

Beitcher called for greater support from industry members, in on Aug. 17, saying, B次元官网网址淎s a community, we are not doing enough to support the tens of thousands of crew members and others who live paycheck to paycheck and depend on this industry for their livelihood. They have become the forgotten casualties during these strikes, overlooked by the media.B次元官网网址�

MPTF said it has raised $1.5 million since the letter was published.

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to support the members of the actors union, quickly raised $15 million with $1 million donations from , and in the first three weeks of the actors strike. Other $1 million donations came from and , Luciana and , , and Deborra-Lee Furness, , , and , and

Cyd Wilson, the foundationB次元官网网址檚 executive director, said her pitch to the top talent is that even the biggest stars need the army of smaller actors, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, to make their movies and television shows.

B次元官网网址淭hose are the people that weB次元官网网址檙e going to be helping the most, because those are the people that are going to be hurting the most,B次元官网网址� she said.

The foundation exclusively supports the 160,000 and 86% of those performers donB次元官网网址檛 make enough work in a year to qualify for health insurance, Wilson said.

B次元官网网址淭hey waitress, they bartend, they work catering, they drive Uber, they babysit, they dog walk, they housesit. They have all these secondary jobs in order to be able to survive,B次元官网网址� she said.

As the strike goes on, the funds expect more and more union members will lose their health insurance because they will not have worked enough hours to remain eligible. A small group of mostly showrunners decided they wanted to specifically fundraise to cover health care for crew members, and set up a fund with the MPTF.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 one thing for us to be sacrificing our own day-to-day for our greater good, but to watch our brother and sister union stand beside us?B次元官网网址� said actor and writer B次元官网网址淲e just got together and said, B次元官网网址楬ow can we show that weB次元官网网址檙e there for them? And also really put our money where our mouth is and actually do something concrete?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

On Wednesday, talk show hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver launched the podcast, with proceeds from the limited run going to the writers and crew on their TV shows. Mint Mobile and premium alcohol maker Diageo signed on as presenting sponsors.

Savage, along with other actors like B次元官网网址淕irlsB次元官网网址� creator and B次元官网网址淏lack MondayB次元官网网址� star started talking on WhatsApp groups, then met on Zoom and eventually founded The Union Solidarity Coalition. TheyB次元官网网址檝e raised $315,000 so far in part from a benefit show in Los Angeles on July 15 that went to the MPTF fund (Savage said she and Scheer covered the cost of the portable toilets).

The writer Liz Benjamin helped set up an initial auction, which included a ceramic vase made by and a blue dress worn by in the series raising more than $8,600. A second auction opens in mid-September on eBay.

Batey says she is still trying to figure out how to make ends meet in September and for the rest of the strike. SheB次元官网网址檚 thinking about where else her skills might be applicable and whether to get temporary work outside her field. In the meantime, she

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 dignity and standing up for yourself,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淪o if it means we have to take a hit right now for the bigger cause, itB次元官网网址檚 worth it.B次元官网网址�

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APB次元官网网址檚 collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APB次元官网网址檚 philanthropy coverage, visit

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For more on the Hollywood strikes, visit

Thalia Beaty, The Associated Press