BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon has today announced a $2.5 million grant to be shared across a group of international countries and charities offering healthcare support and food relief. Each charity will receive a portion of the funds to bolster their ongoing humanitarian activities.

“We continue to see the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our employees and their communities all around the world,” said Tami Erwin, Verizon Business CEO. “We are a global company, with customers in over 150 countries worldwide, and stand in solidarity with our entire global team at this difficult time. Our employees are already doing amazing work in their local communities supporting relief efforts. We hope these donations will help provide additional resources and care for those who need it most.”

The charities receiving grants include: The Red Cross in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom; along with food banks in each of those countries.

Verizon recently donated $3 million to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), in addition to a previous $2 million donation, as part of a partnership with Global Citizen’s “One World: Together At Home” global broadcast special to help aid healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Verizon’s total COVID-19 crisis commitment now stands at over $50 million in contributions and donations to nonprofits around the globe.

Verizon is also helping businesses and critical infrastructure providers around the globe stay operational as they move to remote working, or transform their business operations, to better serve their customers and their communities. A webinar series hosted by Verizon is also offering useful advice for small business owners. Additionally, Yahoo Small Business is helping small businesses get online with a free one-year subscription to Business Maker which includes a website, domain and business email.

You can find more information on Verizon’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic here.