Many people who achieve wealth and fame give a lot back to their communities. Singer Beyoncé is no exception to this rule. She has set up a program to distribute 100 checks in the amount of $5,000 each in order to help individuals and families who are facing eviction or homelessness as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
 

About Beyoncé's Grant Program

The $5,000 checks will be a part of Beyoncé's BeyGood Impact Fund. This is Beyoncé's charitable organization. The grants will be for 100 recipients, and each will get $5,000 to help pay their past-due rent or mortgage and utilities. Recipients will have to apply and show that they have had a job loss directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic or an infection of COVID-19 that impedes their ability to work. Some other challenges, such as caring for a child with COVID-19, may also qualify an applicant to receive one of the checks.
 

Past Grants Offered By the BeyGood Impact Fund

Earlier in 2020, the BeyGood Impact Fund gave $10,000 each to more than 250 small businesses that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these small businesses were women- or minority-owned and operated. The businesses either had to temporarily shut their doors or had to suspend their operations as a result of local shutdowns. The funds from the first round of grants were used to help business owners pay salaries, buy personal protective equipment and make floor plan or other safety and health upgrades necessary for reopening.
 

Why the Grants for Individuals Are So Important

Beyoncé's grants for individuals facing foreclosure or eviction are especially important right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and it is expected to end on December 31. There is no known plan to extend the moratorium. According to the Census Bureau, up to 11.3 million households are behind on their rent or don't have the money to pay January's rent when it comes due on the first of the month. Although 12 million of the 22 million jobs lost during the early months of the pandemic have been restored, there are still 10 million people out of work. Others have had to quit their jobs out of health reasons or to care for children whose schools have shuttered their doors in favor of remote learning. Low-income earners who are also renters have been hit the hardest by the job losses.
 

How People Can Apply for Beyoncé's Grants

BeyGood states that the online applications for the $5,000 grants will be available on January 7, 2021. The funds will be dispersed later in January. A second round of grant applications will open in February. A person who applies for grant funding in January but doesn't receive it can apply again in February. They will need to submit a new application in order to be considered for the second round of grant funding from BeyGood.
 

Beyoncé's History of Giving Back to the Community

Beyoncé has a long history of giving back to the community that has supported her throughout her 20-year career in music and acting. In 2002, Beyoncé and others opened the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth in Houston, TX. This is Beyoncé's hometown. In 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Beyoncé opened the Survivor Foundation with a $250,000 grant for its inception. In 2009, Beyoncé donated her $4 million salary from a film to the Phoenix House for drug treatment. The next year, she funded and opened the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center. This is a work training and certification program for people who have gone through the Phoenix House and want to start a career in cosmetology. Over the years, Beyoncé has donated proceeds from songs to different charities in the USA and around the world.
 

Beyoncé's Founding of the BeyGood Houston Organization

Beyoncé founded the BeyGood Houston charitable organization in 2017. She founded it in response to the local damage caused by the landfall of Hurricane Harvey. Initially, the foundation offered emergency shelter, clothing, food and medical care to people who were displaced by the storm. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, BeyGood has provided food and supplies to 500 families and 100 senior citizens in Houston every week. The foundation has also provided Houston residents with legal fees related to Black Lives Matter protests. BeyGood also helps Houston residents with funds for telecommunications, medication, transportation, healthcare, food, personal supplies, clothing, hygiene and school supplies.