Lindsey Stirling, Courtesy: Sydney Takeshta.

Violinist Lindsey Stirling, who spoke to us last spring about starting the Upside Fund, a program where she could financially support some of her fans struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, has opened the program to others so they could help each other.

Since April, Stirling has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars. Named after her song “The Upside,” the fund, a 501c3 nonprofit, is now open to accepting tax-deductible donations and has extended its reach to include anyone with immediate economic assistance like housing and rent, utilities, medical bills and food since the onset of the health and financial crisis, which threatens to displace many in the United States.

“I am so grateful that I’m in a place where I’m OK. My family’s OK, and I know that all my loved ones will be taken care of. Why? Because my fans have made it possible for me to be here in this spot,” she told us in April. “There’s a lot of people that are so afraid right now and that don’t know if they’re going to be OK.”

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Stirling has continued her weekly quarantine series “String Sessions” into the summer. The latest features Jewel and features a reworking of the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s newest single, “Grateful.” New episodes will continue to debut on her YouTube every Friday, with a podcast available on Mondays with extended interviews.