Rapper Future has ‘stepped up’ to help tackle the shortage of face masks the nation’s healthcare professionals and hospital patients are seeing during this time of a nationwide pandemic. Through his FreeWishes Foundation, Future has partnered with Atlanta Sewing Style to “create, cut, sew and deliver the much-needed masks,” to healthcare workers and hospitalized patients, according to a press release from the foundation.
The rapper is donating the masks through his FreeWishes Foundation, a nonprofit that he started with his mother Stephanie Jester and sister Tia Wilburn-Anderson.
The name for the Mask On Campaign derives from Future’s 2017 “Mask Off” single.
“As most people adapt to the new normal of staying quarantined to protect themselves … healthcare professionals do not have this privilege,” the FreeWishes Foundation also stated in the press release. “In addition, they do not even have enough supplies to protect themselves.”
Atlanta Sewing Style, with a team of more than 500, will create the masks and deliver them to Atlanta-area hospitals. The organization also is accepting donations.
“There is so much that needs to be done during this crisis, and if everyone can step up in some way, we can all get through this together as we serve our community,” said Jester in the same press release. “I think that our healthcare professionals are the heroes in this situation, and they are risking their lives for everyone, so it is our responsibility to help protect them.”
Wilburn-Anderson added, “It is important to my brother, Future and I that we are of service to our community, especially during this pandemic and throughout the year,” said Anderson.
Other celebrities have stepped up to help with relief efforts in recent weeks.
Rihanna, for example, donated $5 million earlier this month. Ciara and Russell Wilson said they’d give 1 million meals to a food bank in Seattle, Washington, and Steph and Ayesha Curry revealed they’ll give 1 million meals to students in Oakland, California.
