EMERGENCY AID
EAG's programs and services focus primarily on sustaining and supporting the careers of working performers. We are here to help bridge those inevitable gaps that happen in performing arts careers and get people back on stage and performing.
Our main program is the Emergency Aid & Relief Program (EARP) (eligibility here). Additional outside resources, including those individuals who are ineligible for EGA's EARP may be found here.
Our main program is the Emergency Aid & Relief Program (EARP) (eligibility here). Additional outside resources, including those individuals who are ineligible for EGA's EARP may be found here.
Emergency Aid from EAG
At the heart of EAG's charitable outreach is the EARP. Through this program, we give grants to qualified performers in financial crisis regardless of religion, race, national origin or ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, political ideology/affiliations, or language. Through EARP we address critical issues like eviction, housing court stipulations, utility shutoffs, emergency medical and dental costs, and sustenance needs like food and transportation. Qualified applicants live in one of the five boroughs and have an established career working as a performer for at least five consecutive years.
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EAG's Actors Pantry, the only food bank specific to the performing arts community, continues to be a vital part of the sustenance services we offer to our EARP clients. The Actors Pantry is located on-site and is available to all clients by appointment, offering a much-needed opportunity to select nutritious, high-quality, non-perishable food items. This program started in 2014 in response to an increasing number of clients reporting a lack of food for themselves and their families. Since that time, we have been able to stave off hunger and food insecurity for NYC's performers, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and those with children at home.
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More EAG Services available to EARP Recipients
- The HIV/AIDS Program: This division of the EARP addresses the specific, and often ongoing, needs of performers living with this disease. Twenty percent of our annual EARP budget is earmarked for this program.
- The Susan Carr Pickett Fund for Veteran Actors: Through this fund, a portion of the EARP is designated for working and retired actors who are over 65 years old. This special fund was created in 2013 through the generosity of Susan Carr Pickett.
- The Wishing Kids Foundation: The Wishing Kids Foundation is dedicated to helping performers and their families who are suffering from life-altering illness, terminal or otherwise. Through this partnership, we will continue to pay it forward and help ease the inevitable financial hardships accompanied with such struggles.
- The Florence James Children’s Holiday Fund: Each December, EARP recipients with children are eligible to apply for an additional grant to address holiday needs. To be eligible for this program, you must have been a previous recipient of our Emergency Aid & Relief Program.
- The Headshot Project: Started in 2012, this service provides EAG clients with free, professional headshots, giving them a valuable and necessary tool in advancing their career. This service is a collaboration with photographer Ahron R. Foster. To be eligible for this program, you must have been a previous recipient of our Emergency Aid & Relief Program.
More Resources for People in the Arts
EAG has compiled an extensive list of resources for performing artists, folks in the film industry, and more.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be Episcopalian (Christian, religious) to get help or to become a member?
No. We help qualifying professional performers without regard to religious beliefs. Our membership, like our client base, is of "all faiths, and none." Join today!
Do I have to be in the Union to get help?
No, you do not have to be a member of any of the performers' unions in order to qualify for assistance.
I am a performer. What are the criteria for getting financial assistance?
You must be a working professional performer living in the New York City metro area. For a complete list of requirements, go to the Eligibility for EAG's Services page.
I am interested in applying for one of your scholarships. How do I apply?
EAG awards five annual scholarships to theatre students at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and the University of Missouri. The scholarship recipients are chosen by the administration of the schools. Please contact them for more information.
No. We help qualifying professional performers without regard to religious beliefs. Our membership, like our client base, is of "all faiths, and none." Join today!
Do I have to be in the Union to get help?
No, you do not have to be a member of any of the performers' unions in order to qualify for assistance.
I am a performer. What are the criteria for getting financial assistance?
You must be a working professional performer living in the New York City metro area. For a complete list of requirements, go to the Eligibility for EAG's Services page.
I am interested in applying for one of your scholarships. How do I apply?
EAG awards five annual scholarships to theatre students at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and the University of Missouri. The scholarship recipients are chosen by the administration of the schools. Please contact them for more information.
Still have questions?
Charitable Programs Associate Jamie Soltis can help with your questions regarding receiving emergency assistance (our EARP grant program) or using the food pantry.
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EAG is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
