Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Vaseline has partnered with Direct Relief and Regina King to create awareness on communities of color being disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Vaseline is a brand that has stood through the test of time. For 150 years, Vaseline has been used to promote healing, skin health care, and beauty. Since partnering with the humanitarian aid organization, Direct Relief, in 2015, Vaseline has donated over $606K in products to community health centers and charitable clinic sites. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, Vaseline has continued to be responsive to those in need by donating $1M to Direct Relief.
COVID-19 has impacted so many of us across the country over the last five months. Unfortunately, the impact of COVID-19 has been harder for Black and Latinx communities that also have been affected by systemic racism. The deeply rooted systemic racism in our nation has dramatically influenced the access to quality medical care in many Black and Latinx communities. The lack of quality medical care within these communities has caused many Black and Latinx Americans to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. During an intimate and candid roundtable conversation with Regina King and our brand partners, Dr. Caroline Robinson and Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighec, underlying systemic reasons that lead to worse outcomes for Black and Latinx patients were discussed. Regina King partnered with Vaseline to bring awareness to communities of color and encourage her fans to continue to educate themselves on the issue and help those in need with resources provided by Direct Relief. With the $1M Vaseline has donated to Direct Relief, the organization has been able to provide funds for testing, PPE for frontline healthcare workers, products for medical staff, and resources to help give care to patients in need. It is incredible to know that an everyday household item has such an impact on communities in need during these unprecedented times.
