Lady Gaga said that she will be funding 162 classroom projects in the three cities that experienced fatal, mass shootings over the past two weeks in an effort to ‘channel my confusion, frustration, and fury into hope.’
The 33-year-old Grammy winner took to Facebook Friday with a statement to all those affected by the devastating mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio, and Gilroy, California.
‘My heart goes out to those who were taken from us too soon and to their families, loved ones, and communities who are left to grieve. Everyone has the right to laws that make them feel safe in their communities,’ Lady Gaga wrote.
‘In this moment, I want to channel my confusion, frustration, and fury into hope. Hope that we are there for each other and for ourselves.’
Lady Gaga took to Facebook Saturday to reveal that she, through her foundation, had partnered with DonorsChoose to completely fund 162 classroom projects in the three cities where mass shootings occurred within two weeks
Lady Gaga’s post noted that she had decided to fund the classroom projects as a way to channel her emotions about the incidents which took place in California, Texas and Ohio
She added that she finds ‘hope in the work of DonorsChoose.org and I’m proud to partner with them and with Born This Way Foundation to fully fund the classroom project needs in Dayton, OH, El Paso, TX, and Gilroy, CA.’
Lady Gaga said that through her foundation’s partnership with DonorsChoose, 14 classrooms in Dayton, 125 classrooms in El Paso and 23 classrooms in Gilroy ‘will now have access to the support they need to inspire their students to work together and bring their dreams to life.’
She also included a link to her foundations’ DonorsChoose website, in which she encouraged people to ‘give with me to support teachers as they bring their students [sic] dreams to life. Each contribution counts.’ So far, $3,000 has been donated on top of the unstated amount that Gaga herself put in.
She then went on to address potential mental health issues that might’ve stemmed from the shootings, whether people were suffering from them or witnessing them manifest in others.
‘Surviving and recovering from these tragedies also means prioritizing your mental health and checking in on your loved ones,’ Lady Gaga wrote.
‘If you’re struggling, please be brave and tell a trusted someone. Don’t be scared to ask for help, I beg you. If you see a loved one struggling, please be brave and reach out, remind them it’s ok to not be ok, and listen to them. We cannot turn away from ourselves. We cannot turn away from our loved ones. We need each other. Don’t turn away.’
She finished the Facebook post by writing: ‘In loving memory of the victims of the tragic shootings in Dayton, OH, El Paso, TX, and Gilroy, CA.’
Lady Gaga also addressed mental health concerns that may have arisen in the wake of the shootings and urging people to either ask for help or offer help if they see anyone struggling
Lady Gaga has been vocal about her own mental health struggles and advocated for improvements in mental health programs
In July, Lady Gaga announced her Born This Way Foundation had partnered wth the ational Council for Behavioral Health to expend peer-to-peer mental health programs at high schools
Lady Gaga has been candid about her own mental health struggles and has been actively advocating for improvements in mental health programs in recent years.
In June, she announced that her Born This Way Foundation had partnered with the National Council for Behavioral Health to expand its peer-to-peer mental health program at high schools around the country, Billboard reported.
Four died and 13 were injured on July 28 after 19-year-old lone gunman Santino William Legan opened fire on the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy. The Santa Clara County coroner’s office confirmed that Legan fatally shot himself at the scene.
Less than a week later, on the morning of August 3, alleged lone gunman Patrick Crusius, 21, killed 22 people and injured 24 others at a Walmart store in El Paso. Cruisus was taken into custody at the scene.
Within 24 hours of the El Paso shooting, another mass shooting happened in a Dayton bar which left ten people dead and 27 injured in under a minute. Police were on scene within seconds and killed alleged shooter Connor Betts, 24, on site. He is said to have fatally shot his sister in a car shortly before the mass shooting occurred.