Aside from her immensely popular music, Taylor Swift is known and loved for her activism and general goodwill, and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pop icon has just reached out to some struggling and jobless fans in need by offering them financial assistance.
That’s right, starting March 25, a handful of Swifties began sharing private messages they received from the Wildest Dreams singer offering them sums of US$3,000 over either Twitter or Tumblr after they publicly expressed concerns for their financial well-being as a result of being temporarily laid off.
One fan, Holly Turner, got a cash infusion from Swift after the freelance music photographer and graphic designer wrote on Tumblr that her livelihood was threatened and she was considering whether to leave New York City, according to the Associated Press.
Also reaching out to a fan named Bernie who was impacted by the novel coronavirus, Swift, 30, sent a Twitter message which reads, “I saw your post and would love to gift you $3,000 to help with the stress of what’s going on right now. Can you please send the email address for your PayPal account?”
Bernie reposted a screenshot of Swift’s heartfelt gesture with the caption: “The one where your favorite person on earth casually calls you Bernie”
“THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST FRIEND EVER, @taylorswift13,” she wrote, adding, “I cannot breathe.”
Another fan named India shared her interaction with the Lover hit-maker expressing her joy after receiving monetary aid.
“I’m shaking and crying and just fell over a rug in my rush to ask my brother if Taylor’s message was real,” she wrote.
“Now I’m probably (definitely) concussed,” she joked, adding, “This virus took my new dream job away but @taylorswift GAVE ME SOME JOY TONIGHT — out of pure kindness.”
“Samantha, I saw your tweet about being stressed about bills piling up and I want to help,” wrote Swift in yet another private message. “What’s the best way I can gift you $3,000? Do you have PayPal?” she continued.
Over the years she has donated to a variety of additional different charities and causes. Earlier this month, Swift even donated $1 million towards a tornado relief foundation in Tennessee after several large tornadoes tore through the city of Nashville, killing at least 24 people.
Furthermore, during her victory speech for her wins at the 2018 American Music Awards, she used her time to urge youth and adolescents to go out and vote.
In light of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2018, Swift made a large donation to anti-sexual violence organization Rainn, which supports victims of sexual abuse and educates those in need.
“Thank you @TaylorSwift13 for always standing with survivors. Your generous donation this week during #SAAPM ensures that survivors and their loved ones get the help they need and deserve,” tweeted the foundation in response.
Her generosity even dates back to the early days of her career. She once donated $70,000 worth of books to her hometown library, the Reading Public Library in Pennsylvania.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
— With files from the Associated Press