THE WHAT? L’Oréal USA has announced a multi-faceted initiative to support Americans during the COVID-19 outbreak and recovery in addition to its European parent’s previously announced Coronavirus Solidarity Program.

THE DETAILS L’Oréal USA will donate US$250,000 to the US hunger relief organization Feeding America to provide emergency support for its COVID-19 Response Fund as part of a company-wide giving campaign with the French beauty giant’s American branch matching employee donations. It will also donate personal care products worth more than US$1 million to Feed the Children and protective masks from its operations facilities in North Little Rock, Arkansas and Franklin, NJ, to local hospitals in each community.

Meanwhile, manufacturing facilities in North America will switch production to hand sanitizer to be provided free of charge to US employees, partners and health care professionals.

Last, the Maybelline manufacturer will freeze payments of very small and small enterprises in its distribution network, including hair salons, until their businesses resume and its payment times for small suppliers will be shortened.

THE WHY? As Stéphane Rinderknech, President and CEO of L’Oréal USA, and Executive Vice President, North America, explains, “I know I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that we at L’Oréal USA feel a deep responsibility to do our part to help address this crisis in the many communities in which we live and work. We stand in solidarity with the brave people who are tirelessly and selflessly working to end this pandemic, and it is our hope that, through these actions, we are able to provide some relief during this challenging time.”