FINANCIAL HELP
Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund - HSSRF offers a one-time emergency financial assistance grant for film and television assistants or support staff who are currently unemployed or on hiatus due to work stoppage and have under three years of paid work experience in the entertainment industry.
Go for PAs Alliance - Started by DGA assistant directors, Go for PAs provides aid & assistance to the Production Assistants of Film & TV including one time grants of $1,000 and discounts on restaurants and gear.
Entertainment Community Fund - Founded in 1882, The Actors Fund is a national human services organization for all workers in entertainment (despite the name). Services include emergency financial assistance, affordable housing, health care and insurance counseling, senior care, secondary career development and more.
Motion Picture Television Fund - MPTF offers a variety of services that can provide emotional and financial relief to industry members and their families during times of need. Whether the hardship is personal or the result of an entertainment industry-wide event, MPTF is here when you need us most.
CalWorks - CalWORKs is a public assistance program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families that have a child(ren) in the home.
EDD (Unemployment in California) - Unemployment benefits of up to $450/week.
PEN American US Writers Aid Initiative - Assists professional writers based in the United States who are able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. You do NOT have to be WGA to receive this grant, but you must be able to prove work in the field of writing via published work (in magazines, newspapers, books, etc.), produced plays/films/television, or contracted upcoming work.
MEDICAL HELP
The Union Solidarity Coalition - Founded by writer/directors who were moved to connect with crew affected by the 2023 WGA strike, TUSC offers direct financial support to crew members who have lost health insurance due to strike-related shutdowns.
Behind the Scenes - Grants for serious illness or injury or to assist with therapy or rehab.
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants - This program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need* who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography.
Covered California - Information on open enrollment periods and special enrollment periods for healthcare after sudden loss of employment.
Planned Parenthood - Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education.
Entertainment Community Fund - Dedicated to keeping our community healthy and insured through personalized health insurance counseling provided nationally, guidance and enrollment support; referrals to health care resources; and more.
FOOD SECURITY HELP
Feeding America - Partners with food banks, food pantries, and local food programs to bring food to people facing hunger.
Los Angeles based food security:
CalFresh/SNAP - Apply for food stamps.
LA Regional Food Bank - Find a food bank near you in the Los Angeles area.
Community Dinner Program: Dinners are served Monday - Friday from 6:30-8:00 pm at The Salvation Army Hollywood Campus at 5939 Hollywood Blvd. and Saturday & Sunday 6:30-7:40 pm at the corner of Orange and Romaine (1 block south of Santa Monica Blvd and 2 blocks east of La Brea Ave.).
Food Shopping: Free groceries Monday - Friday from 12:00-2:00 pm at Genevieve's Garden located at 6657 W. Sunset Blvd.
Food Pantry: Saturdays from 9:00am-1:00 pm at the Church Of The Blessed Sacrament. 6657 W Sunset Blvd.
Free Pet Food for Picketing Pet: Off The Leash and betterTogether Forever have partnered to give one free bag of selected dog or cat food to pet parents who have been negatively affected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
HOUSING SECURITY HELP
Housing is Key - California Mortgage Relief Program is now open for applications.
United to House Los Angeles Emergency Renters Assistance Program - Assists low-income residential renters who are at risk of homelessness due to unpaid rent as a result of COVID-19 or other financial hardship. Must be an LA resident, have experienced loss of employment or other financial hardship, have unpaid rent between April 2020 and now, and have a household income is at or below 80% of the area median income.
SAFETY & LEGAL HELP
California Employment Lawyers Assiociation, or CELA - A statewide organization of over 1,200 California attorneys who devote the major portion of their practices to representing employees in individual employment cases and class actions, including cases involving unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and whistleblowing.
Women In Film, or WIF - WIF advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries to achieve parity and transform culture. The WIF Help Line for Sexual Harassment and Misconduct in the Entertainment Industry offers resources and support, including referrals to pro bono legal services, low-fee therapy, and free support groups, to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or misconduct while working in the entertainment industry. Their trauma-informed staff take calls from across the country, and referral services currently serve California, New York, and Georgia.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, Safety Hotline Program - Support staffers currently working in IATSE-covered positions, the IATSE Safety Hotline was launched for union members to report hazards on the job that have either been overlooked or gone unaddressed by employers. Union members can call toll free at 844-IA AWARE or 844-422-9273. The caller can either leave a message for or talk to a safety representative who will begin handling the issue.
ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity, or TTIE: A consortium of working TV writers spanning staff writer to showrunner who know first-hand the challenges faced by underrepresented TV writers (Women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled People) because TTIE is comprised of underrepresented writers from all of these communities. As the only intersectional social change organization that advocates within the entertainment industry for a diverse cross-section of underrepresented communities, TTIE is uniquely situated to empower underrepresented writers and transform the industry into one in which all writers and all stories can thrive.
JHRTS - The junior membership division of HRTS, created in 2000, continues the organization’s longstanding tradition of community-building, and allows HRTS to do what no other organization ever has — to nurture professionals working in the TV and entertainment industry who are in the earliest stages of their careers. Led by the JHRTS Board, comprised of a diverse group of elected JHRTS members, the junior society connects, educates and provides access to the industry through bicoastal member-only events, the HRTS Mentorship Program and other resources and initiatives such as the annual JHRTS Script Competition, HRTS Diversity & Inclusion Guide and the new Writers Group Program.
Young Entertainment Activists, or YEA! - An organization that “believes that if Hollywood content creates culture, and if we want to change global culture, we need to change the people who make it.” As an activist hub in the entertainment industry, the organization produces action-oriented events and initiatives to transform both the internal makeup of the industry and our world at large.
Hollywood Commission - Chaired by Anita Hill, the Hollywood Commission brings together entertainment executives, independent experts, and advisors to take the necessary collective steps towards tackling the culture of abuse and power disparity in the industry.
