Being famous doesn’t automatically grant Super Awesome Person™ status. But being famous gives celebrities a platform from which they can impact a huge number of people – for better or worse.
Fortunately, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of celebrities are stepping up and doing awesome things to help out. Many celebrities have donated money and supplies (as detailed here and here and here and here), and some efforts have gone beyond one-off donations.
Here are just a few examples of on-going projects famous folks have initiated to spread joy and help out exhausted parents and underserved essential workers during these difficult times.
John Krasinski Shares Some Good News
The Office alum, Jack Ryan star, and all-around good guy John Krasinski has started a Youtube series called SomeGoodNews. His goal? To highlight positive news stories during the pandemic, like Coco, the 15-year-old who finished her last round of chemotherapy and was greeted on her way home by a street full of cheering friends and neighbors.
In addition to heart-warming stories of everyday folks, Krasinski uses his celebrity influence to bring in special guest stars like The Office‘s Steve Carell and the original cast of Broadway’s Hamilton who gave a special virtual performance of a young fan’s favorite song from the hit musical. And stay tuned for the button at the end of each episode where Krasinski stands up from his anchor desk and reveals what silly thing he’s wearing below the waist.
Some Good News with John Krasinski 
LeVar Burton Reads
LeVar Burton Reads (to kids, teens, and adults)
LeVar Burton is no stranger to reading aloud. The Star Trek: The Next Generation star was the host of the beloved PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow which ran for 21 seasons between 1983 and 2006. In his podcast, LeVar Burton Reads, Burton narrates short fiction by literary luminaries like Neil Gaiman, Toni Morrison, and Ray Bradbury.
And now, three times a week, Burton hosts a Twitter live stream, where he reads stories for children (Mondays, 9am PT), young adults (Wednesdays, 3pm PT), and adults (Friday, 6pm PT), to bring levity, literature, and expertly-narrated stories to the masses.
Burton isn’t the only celebrity—or even the only TNG star reading aloud these days. Sir Patrick Stewart (aka: Captain Picard; aka: Professor X) is tackling the Bard himself, reading one of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets each day—in order and on Twitter: #ASonnetADay.
Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams Save With Stories
In partnership with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry, Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams initiated the new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to drive new donations while entertaining kids who are stuck at home during the pandemic. On Instagram, #SAVEWITHSTORIES celebrities from all walks of life (entertainment, sports, and even the Cincinnati Zoo’s baby hippo Fiona) read beloved children’s books, with a special message to donate to feed hungry families during these difficult times.
THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN rely on school for food. Responding to the needs of kids during these school closures, @savethechildren and @nokidhungry have a new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to support food banks, and mobile meal trucks, and community feeding programs with funds to do what they do best—and also—with educational toys, books, and worksheets to make sure brains are full, as well as bellies.
If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help.
Celebrities Read for #SAVEWITHSTORIES 
Christian Siriano’s fashion house makes PPE
Christian Siriano’s Fashion House Makes Masks
On March 20th when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo put out a call for sewers who could make much-needed cloth masks, Christian Siriano and his team of sewers answered. Work began remotely in each sewer’s home before Siriano reopened his atelier as an essential business and his team began a more efficient assembly line under one roof, working six feet apart. The masks are not medical grade but they can serve essential workers in a pinch, and with the CDC’s recommendation that *everyone* wear reusable cloth masks, mask production has become even more vital in the fight to keep people healthy in pandemic times.