RIYADH: Bella Hadid has issued a plea to her 47.8 million Instagram followers to support New York City’s food banks.
The part-Palestinian model took to the photo-sharing platform this week to post a carousel of images that showed her volunteering at a soup kitchen.
In a lengthy message, she also asked fans to support Food Bank of NYC through donations to help provide meals for the city’s disadvantaged during the holiday season.
Hadid began her post by praising Chef Sherri, “a powerhouse and angel sent from heaven,” who provides thousands of hot meals for the food bank.
The 25-year-old is one of many New York-based celebrities taking part in the food bank’s 5 Borough Challenge, a social media and crowdfunding campaign to raise money to provide 1 million meals to New Yorkers in need by the end of the year.
“@foodbank4nyc has been a longtime friend and an organization that I highly respect and will always support. Although our #5BoroughChallenge — (a friendly competition to see which borough can raise the most meals for their neighbors in need) is still happening right now, I believe we’ve gotta stick together, no matter what borough you’re in,” Hadid wrote on Instagram.
“As it’s an overwhelming time for everyone , If you’re not able to lend your time to show up, I want you to know that when you donate to @foodbank4nyc’s #5BoroughChallenge, you’re not only standing up for Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx but for every New Yorker facing hunger. Donate just $1 and you can provide 10 meals for our NYC neighbors,” she added.
Hadid, who was born to Palestinian real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid and Dutch reality television star Yolanda Hadid, said that volunteering at kitchens and donating food to the less privileged have brought her joy since she discovered food distribution in Los Angeles for the first time.
“Every Thursday we would make hundreds of plates and (before COVID) we were able to all sit together and break bread, no matter who you are or where you are from,” she said.
“Remember, you can make a difference in your town/city with a dollar, a meal or just a smile. There’s so much for all of us to do, especially now before winter hits.”