Philanthropy
In 2001, Williams made a "bountiful" donation of $148,900 to her church, St. Paul Church of God in Christ in Rockford, Illinois - to which she has been a member since birth - to finish construction of the church's school, St. Paul Academy. The church is pastored by her uncle, Bishop James E. Washington.
In 2005, music producer David Foster, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies, and Knowles wrote "Stand Up for Love", which would serve as the anthem of World Children's Day, an event which takes place annually around the world on November 20 to raise awareness and funds for children's causes worldwide. Destiny's Child lent their voices and support as global ambassadors for the 2005 World Children's Day program. In this role, Knowles, Rowland and Williams visited Ronald McDonald Houses around the world during their Destiny Fulfilled...and Lovin' It World Tour and donated a portion of their North American ticket sales to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
On September 19, 2006, Williams jump-started the Chicago PepsiCo S.M.A.R.T. - which stands for five simple steps that encourage active living and better food choices - program to promote active, healthy lifestyles by building a new "Smart Spot" playground in Chicago. Williams, along with friend Lance Bass, was on hand to sing to and greet kids at the opening of Camp Heartland, a camp dedicated to helping kids suffering from HIV/AIDS enjoy life and take their mind off their illness. Furthermore, in 2006, the Chicago Sky, a team in the Women's National Basketball Association, announced that Williams, along with Mathew Knowles, is part of a group of minority shareholder owners in the team.
In 2011, Williams became a spokesperson for the Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI) and their Power of Ten campaign to raise money to fund a £21.8 million specialist facility in San Marcos, California. During an interview Williams revealed she has "a personal connection to the movement" as her godson was diagnosed with the development disorder at the age of two. In discussing the campaign, Williams said "It's such a great organisation dealing with people with autism and other developmental disabilities" and she was "just blown away" when she was informed "that they're trying to build a 20-acre facility that will have (an) equestrian centre, aquatics, arts and crafts facility and theatre".
In 2012, she became an ambassador for the American Heart Association's Power to End Stroke campaign. In speaking of her role she said "I am honored to partner with the campaign my father had a stroke in 2005 due to smoking, diabetes and an unhealthy diet, and my grandmother was diagnosed with having a stroke in 2006 when she went to her doctor for a simple outpatient procedure. I am bringing awareness to people so that strokes can be prevented. Let’s take care of ourselves…the first step is knowledge about your health."
Read more about this topic: Michelle Williams (singer)
Famous quotes containing the word philanthropy:
“Almost every man we meet requires some civility,—requires to be humored; he has some fame, some talent, some whim of religion or philanthropy in his head that is not to be questioned, and which spoils all conversation with him. But a friend is a sane man who exercises not my ingenuity, but me.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I shall not be forward to think him mistaken in his method who quickest succeeds to liberate the slave. I speak for the slave when I say that I prefer the philanthropy of Captain Brown to that philanthropy which neither shoots me nor liberates me.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“... the hey-day of a woman’s life is on the shady side of fifty, when the vital forces heretofore expended in other ways are garnered in the brain, when their thoughts and sentiments flow out in broader channels, when philanthropy takes the place of family selfishness, and when from the depths of poverty and suffering the wail of humanity grows as pathetic to their ears as once was the cry of their own children.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)