Matt Ryan donating $100,000 to help Atlantans affected by coronavirus outbreak

The country is dealing with a crisis unlike anything it’s ever experienced. To help with the struggles of those who need assistance, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is donating $100,000 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Giving Kitchen, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank provides foods to people in need, and Giving Kitchen offers emergency assistance to food service workers.

“Obviously there’s a ton of stuff going on right now with a lot of areas that need a lot of help, and we certainly have a lot of friends in the restaurant and food industry here in Atlanta,” Ryan told ESPN. “We felt like [Giving Kitchen] is a unique and cool organization that has helped different restaurants, people in that industry. We thought it would create awareness for one of the industries that’s going to struggle during this time. The Atlanta Food Bank is obviously another organization that does a great job. Certainly, there is a great need for funding there. It made sense for us to try and make a small impact.”

As the COVID-19 outbreak surpasses more than 4,000 cases nationwide, more and more athletes like Ryan are stepping up and selflessly giving back to assist their communities. Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank is paying hourly employees for Falcons, Atlanta United, and MBS during COVID-19 shutdowns.

The NFL sent out a memo to teams on Monday stating that it would be delaying organized team activities indefinitely. The Atlanta Falcons’ facility will remain closed until March 27 and the team has halted all coaches and scouts from traveling.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a number of precautions for the coronavirus. Those generally include staying away from large crowds as people can spread the virus without showing symptoms. The virus is especially problematic for older adults and people with other medical conditions.

In order to prevent transmission:

• Wash your hands often
• Start noticing how often you touch your face, which is apparently always
• Avoid people who are sick
• Stay home if you are sick
• Stay home even if you’re not exhibiting symptoms to slow down the spread of the virus
• Wear a face mask if sick
• Clean and disinfect everything regularly