What do you get when you team up a “people & country first” decorated 13-year Navy SEAL and an actor with more passion than words can say? You get the ultimate duo! Such is the case for Michael Fishman (ABC’s The Conners / Roseanne) and Sean Matson (retired Navy SEAL).
When Sean and his VA-based company MATBOCK heard about various places in California getting hit hard from COVID-19, he sprung into action and reached out to his Hollywood-based friend Michael. Together after much conversation, the duo put together a shipment of over 500,000 masks that would be donated to as many nonprofits in need across the state in order to help protect their supporters, staff and others.
“We have over 4 million surgical masks in our warehouse, and I knew that California had been getting hit hard. I just had to help however I could. I knew Michael was on the ground there in LA and would help get these masks out to the people that needed them most.”
To date, some of the charities who have received shipments of thousands in free protective high-grade masks include Covenant House, Meals on Wheels For Seniors, Orange County Justice Center, Orange County Mother Group, Hope International College, West Anaheim Medical Center, Domestic Violence Survivors Care Packages, Biola University Nursing Department, Cypress College Health Science, PACTL, Day One, Union Station HS, Crime Survivors Charity, Friends in Deed, Flintridge Center, My Tribe Rise, Young And Healthy, Live Above The Hype and the Grand Rising Institute.
While in-between filming new projects and his own current hit television series, Michael has been the “boots on the ground” in California on behalf of Sean and his company. Each passing day, Michael has been going himself, alongside members of his new non-profit WeComend, to each of these charities and dropping off the masks.
Speaking about why doing this is so important to him Michael stated, “Starting in entertainment at six years old, I quickly realized the incredible positive impact we can have in the world through charitable acts. I have worked with top charities for over 30 years. When Sean mentioned he had masks, I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to actively help and fight this pandemic. At my organization WeComend, we are all about coming together to mend communities in need. I have been active with Covenant House for years, having briefly experienced homelessness in my late teens and I immediately knew the impact these masks could have. Additionally we are providing masks for domestic violence survivors, crime victims who have lost everything, educational institutions, and youth programs. This is a time to come together, uplift society as a whole, and use the power of our voices for inclusion and togetherness. All in all through the sponsorship and generosity of MATBOCK we plan to distribute over 500,000 masks into the community.”
The duo has no plans of stopping (they even do weekly Instagram Live updates) and hopes that by protecting the citizens of California, they can help show other companies and people across America that giving back in any way possible during these times is something we should all find the time to do!
