Taylor Swift donates $5 million to hurricane relief

Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to Feeding America to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The nonprofit announced the pop star’s donation Wednesday with a “Thank You” graphic that resembles a friendship bracelet, a favorite accessory that Swift’s fans trade at her concerts.

Feeding America is “incredibly grateful” for the donation, CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement.

“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover by providing essential food, clean water and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms,” the statement continued. “Together we can make a real impact by supporting families as they deal with the challenges ahead. .”

The organization also encouraged fans and supporters to “join Taylor” and contribute to the relief effort.

Swift’s longtime friends, actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, also donated $1 million to Feeding America to support hurricane relief efforts. Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement that the couple’s “longstanding support of Feeding America in times of crisis” has helped meet basic needs for several past natural disasters.

Swift has a long history of donating to nonprofits after natural disasters or tragic events, including a tornado that struck Tennessee in 2020 and a February 2024 shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.

Her philanthropic relationship with food banks became a quiet feature of her record-breaking Eras Tour, with the singer donating the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to various food banks in the cities where she played.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, bringing misery to a coast still ravaged by Helene.