Jennifer Lopez is co-chairing the New York state recovery effort to help Puerto Ricans affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. (Photo by AP Photo/Michael Noble Jr.)
Latina actress and singer Jennifer Lopez is donating $1 million to recovery efforts in Puerto Rico after hurricanes Irma and Maria ripped through the island nation.
Lopez, a Bronx native of Puerto Rican heritage, announced she will contribute proceeds from her Las Vegas residency shows to a New York aid program aimed at helping those impacted by the hurricanes’ devastating effects. Having already been walloped by Irma, Maria hit the island Sept. 20, carrying winds over 155 mph and dropping more than 20 inches of rain.
In a video posted to her Instagram account last week, the “Jenny from the Block” singer said she hadn’t been able to get in touch with family members living on the island.
“The devastation is beyond belief,” Lopez told her followers. “What’s foremost on my mind and [the minds of] many others is trying to find the best way to help.”
According to The Guardian, the former American Idol judge co-chairing the New York state recovery effort and announced her million-dollar donation during a press conference Sept. 24, alongside New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The duo announced a plan to encourage New York residents to give what they can and aims to provide health care services to those affected.
The singer also donated $25K to Hurricane Harvey Relief efforts last month.
“Today, Puerto needs our help,” she said. “Together we can help rebuild our island and the Caribbean”
