How actors can gain assistance during the SAG-AFTRA strike through the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Assistance and Disaster Fund.
This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page.
With dual strikes currently underway, it’s an uncertain time for actors – and this is a profession that is used to uncertainty. Many aren’t just wondering about when their next job will be, but how they can afford rent, utilities and health care. One place that can help is the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and its Emergency Financial Assistance and Disaster Relief Fund. The Foundation’s programs and assistance are available to any SAG-AFTRA member currently paid up on dues who are able to prove financial crisis. The Foundation’s motto is: “If you need help, ask. If you can help, give.”
For those not familiar with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, it is a non-profit organization associated with the union but not part of it. It offers several educational programs and valuable resources to its more than 48,000 participants all over the country. SAG-AFTRA artists should visit the website (www.sagaftra.foundation) and set up a free account to be notified of upcoming screenings, programs and opportunities to utilize various resources, such as its state-of-the-art voiceover labs. In addition, the Foundation is behind Storyline Online, a children’s literacy program that has involved greats from Viola Davis to Rami Malek reading their favorite children’s books.
The Foundation was created in 1985, and its current president is Emmy-winning actor Courtney B.
