Taylor Swift has contributed $5 million to aid communities devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The gesture comes as the southeastern United States grapples with the aftermath of these catastrophic storms.
Feeding America, a prominent non-profit organization, announced Swift’s donation on their social media platforms. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the organization’s CEO, praised the singer’s contribution. “We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts,” Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement. She emphasized that Swift’s donation would play a crucial role in providing “essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”
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The timing of Swift’s donation is particularly poignant, as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast. Meteorologists predict that Milton could be one of the most destructive storms in the region’s history. This comes on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida just two weeks prior as a deadly Category 4 hurricane. Helene’s impact was catastrophic, carving a 500-mile path of destruction across six states and claiming over 230 lives, making it the second-deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in half a century.
Swift’s act of generosity aligns with her history of charitable giving. In December 2023, she donated $1 million towards natural disaster relief following devastating storms in Tennessee. More recently, she granted $100,000 to the family of a 44-year-old woman tragically killed at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February.
The “Shake It Off” singer’s philanthropic efforts extend beyond disaster relief. Throughout her record-breaking “Eras Tour,” Swift has consistently supported local food banks in the cities where she performed. Notable beneficiaries include the Edinburgh Food Project and the Arizona Food Bank Network. Furthermore, Swift’s generosity towards her tour staff made headlines when she reportedly distributed over $55 million in bonuses to employees, ranging from dancers to riggers and catering staff.
Swift’s $5 million donation has sparked a wave of admiration and support from her fanbase, colloquially known as “Swifties.” Many took to social media to praise the singer’s generosity, with some preemptively defending her against potential criticism regarding the donation amount. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “If I see 1 person talking about how $5 million is nothing to her then you donate 5 mil.”
The singer’s charitable act has also reignited discussions about wealth and social responsibility. Some fans used the opportunity to call for similar actions from other high-net-worth individuals, with one user commenting, per Parade, “Anyways imagine if all billionaires did stuff like this instead of just a few.”
Swift’s donation places her alongside other celebrities contributing to hurricane relief efforts. Country music legend Dolly Parton recently announced a partnership with Walmart to provide flood relief across the Appalachian region. Parton also pledged a personal donation of $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, dedicated to assisting Helene flood victims.
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Fort Myers Beach ahead of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly gained strength — with winds reaching 155 miles an hour — as it barreled toward the coast of Florida, threatening to rip roofs off of homes, wreck agricultural crops and cripple infrastructure as one of the costliest storms to ever hit the US. Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg
