Lady Gaga To Donate To 162 Classrooms In Communities Where Recent Mass Shootings Took Place
Pop star, actress and philanthropist Lady Gaga announced on social media Saturday that she plans to donate to schools in El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio and Gilroy, California following recent mass shootings in those cities.
Gaga said she will donate to 162 classrooms through an organization called Donors Choose, an organization where teachers raise money for classroom projects, per Fox News.
She addressed the cause on Facebook on Friday in a post she titled “A note to Dayton, El Paso, and Gilroy.”
“My heart goes out to those who were taken from us too soon and to their families, loved ones, and communities who are left to grieve. Everyone has the right to laws that make them feel safe in their communities. In this moment, I want to channel my confusion, frustration, and fury into hope. Hope that we are there for each other and for ourselves,”
In her Facebook post, Gaga — whose real name is Stefani Germonatta — also said that in light of these shootings, people should make sure they are checking in on the mental health of friends and family who may be struggling. The singer has been a longtime advocate of talking about mental health.
In a speech the “A Star is Born” actress gave in November of last year, she talked about how her past struggles with mental illness had led to her losing her “inner voice,” per a report from USA Today.
Lady Gaga will fund 162 classrooms in Dayton, El Paso and Gilroy in wake of mass shootings https://t.co/UZePwLHCA1 pic.twitter.com/JdgnR0hXnN
— The Hill (@thehill) August 11, 2019
The “Shallow” singer also teamed up with Prince William in 2017 to help encourage people to open up and discuss mental health issues, per The BBC.
The two, who both admitted to varying degrees of past struggles with their own mental health, talked about changing the culture and stigma around mental illness.
According to the report from Fox News, Gaga will fund a total of 162 classrooms, including 125 in El Paso, 23 in Gilroy and 14 in Dayton. These classrooms will reportedly memorize those killed in the recent mass killings in the areas in which dozens dead.
Gaga, who is known to fans as “Mother Monster,” is no stranger to charity work. The singer is the head of the Born This Way Foundation, an organization she founded in 2011 to help at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. The organization is named after the singer’s album and track of the same name, which likewise celebrates the LGBTQ+ community.
The 33-year-old Oscar winner said that she hopes her donations would help inspire students in the cities where they will learn and in which will bring their dreams to life.
