OWN(LOS ANGELES) — Oprah Winfrey is giving back to those who have been affected by Hurricane Maria.
The storm, which hit the the island of Puerto Rico in 2017, caused close to 3,000 deaths and billion of dollars in damages. The island has yet to fully recover and as a result, Winfrey announced she’s donating $2 million to help the country out.
“I was so moved by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s commitment to bring Hamilton to Puerto Rico and support the community that served him growing up that I wanted to join in the revitalization efforts of an island so rich in culture, beauty, and heritage,” Winfrey said in a statement.
Winfrey’s $2 million commitment will be spread across two organizations: $1 million to the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program, which will help to develop and implement long-term needs; and the other $1 million to the Flamboyan Arts Fund, to ensure that the island’s rich heritage of arts, culture and creative development are not lost forever.
Winfrey continued, “The needs of Puerto Rico and our fellow American citizens following the tragic hurricanes are still very real, and the work that has already been done by the Hispanic Federation, Flamboyan Arts Fund and other organizations on and off the island is long from over.”
Since the hurricane, other celebrities have stepped up to raise money for the island’s disaster relief fund.
In January 2018, Jennifer Lopez and fiancé Alex Rodriguez decided to launch their own fund, Puerto Rico Federally Qualified Health Centers Disaster Recovery Fund, in an effort to help the country.
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