Coronavirus: Rosie O'Donnell's streams Broadway charity show, more stars donate to help

When it comes to taking action to help others during the coronavirus pandemic, celebrities are putting their money where their mouths are.

Ryan Reynolds announced March 16 that he and wife Blake Lively donated $1 million split between food drive organizations Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. (Reynolds was born in Vancouver.)

"COVID-19 has brutally impacted older adults and low income families," he wrote in a Twitter post. "If you can give, these orgs need our help. Take care of your bodies and hearts. Leave room for joy. Call someone who's isolated and might need connection."

These other stars have announced similar plans to help during these trying times.

Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O’Donnell’s streaming Broadway charity show raised over $600,000 for people in the performing arts and entertainment.

March 22's show featured Kristin Chenoweth singing “Taylor the Latte Boy,” Gavin Creel singing “You Matter to Me,” Darren Criss singing “Being Alive” and Gloria Estefan singing “There’s Always Tomorrow.”

The special was streamed live on Broadway.com and their YouTube channel. The money went to The Actors Fund to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Other highlights included Neil Patrick Harris performing a magic act with his children, Patti LuPone performing “A Hundred Years From Today” and Adrienne Warren live from her bathtub singing “Simply the Best.”

Ciara and Russell Wilson

On March 17, the couple announced they will donate one million meals to their local food bank, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus with over 55 deaths in Washington state so far.

"Coronavirus is changing the world second by second, minute by minute," Wilson said in a video announcement on Instagram. "People are losing loved ones. The elderly and the young. The people in between. You think about people losing jobs – even in Seattle."

Wilson continued, alongside an expectant Ciara: "What we’ve decided to do is partner up with our local food bank in Seattle, Seattle Food LifeLine, and we’re gonna donate a million meals [and] hopefully make a difference."

Eric Stonestreet

The "Modern Family" alum followed suit, donating 200,000 meals to the Harvesters Community Food Network in his hometown of Kansas City.

The actor's partner "Lindsay (Schweitzer) and I love our hometown and want to help do what we can," Stonestreet tweeted Wednesday. "I’m only posting this to maybe motivate you to do what you can, when you can, if you can, to help vulnerable families in our community during this time."

Kristen Bell and her daughters

The "Frozen 2" actress posted to Instagram her family donated $150,007.96 to No Kid Hungry, an organization that "has always been there for kids who need them. They work tirelessly to provide food for the hungry bellys (sic) all over this country."

Bell said the specific amount is due to daughters Delta, 5, and Lincoln, 6, who overheard her making the donation and "asked if they could also donate the money from their piggy bank. I couldn't have been prouder to add that extra, and important 7 dollars and 96 cents."

Bethenny Frankel

The "Real Housewives of New York City" alum is creating and distributing coronavirus kits filled with sanitation products through her disaster relief initiative, BStrong.

In partnership with Global Empowerment Mission, Frankel's preventative kits will contain sanitation wipes, gloves, SOS Hydration and more products. They will be dispersed throughout the U.S., primarily in "low income communities" where "not everyone has funds or access to these products right now," according to her website.

"THIS IS A CRISIS," Frankel wrote on Instagram. "We have also raised $50k to start our initiative that will provide cash cards for families who can’t afford their children’s lunches if they don’t attend school."

Shonda Rhimes, Jonathan Nolan and other screenwriters

The entertainment organizations #PayUpHollywood, Scriptnotes, Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society and Youth Education in the Arts have joined forces to fund entertainment support staff affected by the shutdown. This includes assistants, PAs, coordinators and readers who have been laid off or had hours cut due to the pandemic.

Organizers of the effort, called the Hollywood Support Staff COVID-19 Relief Fund, set out to raise $100,000 on the crowdfunding site Go Fund Me. As of March 23, they have raised over $353,000.

Donors include screenwriters Shonda Rhimes, Jonathan Nolan, John August, Craig Mazin, Greg Berlanti, Lisa Joy, Damon Lindelof and Julie Plec.

Lady Gaga

The pop star's makeup brand, Haus Laboratories, announced March 16 it would donate 20% of last week's profits to food banks in Los Angeles and New York "in order to get food to those affected by the closing of schools and other places that offer this critical resource."

Lecrae

Grammy-winning recording artist Lecrae joined forces the non-profit organization Love Beyond Walls to assemble and distribute 15 portable hand-washing stations throughout Atlanta in areas with a high density of homeless people.

Lecrae Moore and other volunteers assembled 15 wash stations, filled them with water and hand sanitizer and loaded them onto a truck for distribution.

Lecrae, winner of the 2013 Grammy for best gospel album for "Gravity," rolled up his sleeves and went to work early, his mind set on helping the less fortunate.

"I wanted to continue doing the same stuff that I have been doing just in any city I've lived in and that's just being close to the disenfranchised and the marginalized communities," he said.

Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake, a Millington, Tennessee, native, announced March 15 he was donating to Mid-South Food Bank, an organization within the Feeding America network, while encouraging others to follow suit by aiding their hometown charities.

Timberlake shared with his Twitter followers he had given an undisclosed amount to the food bank.

“This is a crazy time, but remember we’re all in it together,” wrote Timberlake. “Start small and support your local communities by getting food out to those in need. I’m donating to @midsouthfoodbank an organization in my hometown that is helping people assemble and deliver nonperishable food in the Mid-South so families can be prepared to stay at home. Every. little. thing. helps.”

More: John Legend, Coldplay and more musicians host virtual concerts amid coronavirus quarantines

Dierks Bentley

The country singer, who owns the Whiskey Row bar in Nashville, told his followers March 16 he would "immediately give each of our 90 hourly employees $1,000 to help in the short run" and called on other bar owners on the Lower Broadway strip to enact similar programs to help bartenders, bar backs, waitresses, dishwashers, security guards and other employees.

"Just gave last call at @whiskeyrownashville as we close the doors for a while. My heart goes out to all the guys/girls down on Lower Broad," Bentley wrote. "Feels like yesterday that it was me down there working for tips... Lower Broadway is the heartbeat of Nashville. Let's make sure we help the folks that help make the music happen."

More: Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson are out of the hospital after contracting coronavirus, son says

Justin Bieber

Bieber, 26, announced in February he had made a $29,000 donation to the Beijing Chunmiao Charity Foundation to help children affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

"Watching the news I couldn’t imagine how scary it would be if a new disease was effecting my wife and my family and friends," he wrote in a Feb. 13 Instagram post. "China we stand with you as a collective humanity and have made a donation to support. Whether it be this or the fires of Australia we all need to be there for each other."

Contributing: Charles Trepany; Bob Mehr, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Rosie O'Donnell, Justin Bieber, more stars are helping