The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has relaunched its disaster relief program under the name of Defy:Disaster, which will introduce Lend a Hand, its first campaign since the rebranding. Lend a Hand aims to support California’s firefighters amid a record-breaking wildfire season.
Defy:Disaster, which previously operated under the name of Music for Relief since 2018, seeks to provide aid to communities affected by natural disasters and help them rebuild. Most recently, EIF’s programs directed their attention toward the coronavirus pandemic, hurricane relief for southeastern states and wildfire aid for Pacific Coast states. Funded by the entertainment community and the public, EIF’s programs and its funding partners have raised more than $10 million for their efforts.
“We have been able to address a need in the entertainment community and provide resources that inform a more impactful response on behalf of our industry in a time of crisis,” said Jeff Bader, vice chair of the EIF Board of Directors and president of program planning and strategy at NBCUniversal.
Lend a Hand will provide front-line firefighters donations for equipment and local partner organizations grants to support residents impacted by the fires. Its main focus is to equip firefighters with structure gloves that protect them in various building fires, which are among the most dangerous to navigate.
Defy:Disaster is guided by an advisory council with various crisis response experts including Irwin Redlener of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Regine Webster from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Kirsten Mildren from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Abby Browning from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Los Angeles Fire Department deputy chief Graham Everett. The council advises Defy:Disaster on its response to natural disasters by providing guidance and infrastructure as it mobilizes the industry to support people amid crisis, whether through immediate relief, long-term recovery or preparedness.
“Harnessing the collective power of the entertainment community in a time of crisis is crucial to disseminating critical information to the public and to building responses that make a meaningful impact for those affected by disasters,” Redlener said.
Music for Relief, a nonprofit founded by the band Linkin Park, joined EIF in 2018 and became the name of the foundation’s official crisis response program. Following EIF’s launching of Defy:Disaster to reflect the broader industry’s efforts, Music for Relief will continue under the EIF umbrella, focusing on music-driven relief campaigns.
To donate to the Lend a Hand campaign, visit defydisaster.org/gloves.