Why celebrity giving matters: From influence to impact | Opinion
As more and more people turn to food pantries to help feed themselves and their families, the benevolence supporting these vital organizations is appreciated more than ever.
Major donors like MacKenzie Scott and Taylor Swift are challenging long-held traditions of giving with a new type of philanthropy – one that relies on vetting nonprofit organizations and making unrestricted gifts that trust leaders to move their charitable missions forward. This flexible funding is exactly what food banks need as they navigate economic realities.
This kind of giving recently benefited Helping Harvest, a Reading-based neighbor of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and a fellow Feeding America Partner Food Bank. Helping Harvest received a generous $1 million gift from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as part of a massive $26 million philanthropy campaign ahead of their July 3 wedding.
Taylor and Travis’ goodwill gives all of us who work at food banks cause to celebrate – because to fight hunger, we need all the help we can get.
Regionally, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank has observed a staggering 43% increase in the number of individuals accessing food pantries and other food-assistance organizations in the last two years. This surge is driven in part by significant reductions to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Compounding the issue, recent federal funding cuts of nearly 60% implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have forced regional food banks to do even more with significantly less.
These systemic challenges make celebrity gifts incredibly vital. They bring immediate awareness to the public that hunger is real, that neighbors right in our own communities are experiencing it, and that food networks need urgent support. They remind us that the people we work with, worship with and share a community with may be facing the impossible choice between buying food, paying rent or filling a life-sustaining prescription.
Giving by prominent public figures also mobilizes others to rise up and help – and the proof is in the numbers. Shortly after news broke of the recent Swift-Kelce gift to Helping Harvest, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank saw a distinct bump in local donations, proving that generosity is contagious.
The timing of this bump is a gift in itself. The summer season is an especially vulnerable time for children who lose access to breakfast and lunch when school is out of session. In Pennsylvania, free breakfast is universally provided during the school year – a critical program that saw a 40% increase in participation from 2019 to 2025. Furthermore, the state’s commitment to the SUN Bucks program provides $120 in summer food assistance for eligible children, reducing very low food insecurity by up to a third.
While these programs are effective, they are only pieces of a larger puzzle. Private charity must fill gaps to sustain our community’s most vulnerable young people through the summer months.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is grateful that influencers use their voices and platforms to elevate the everyday struggle of putting food on the table. These voices translate into immediate, local impact.
The best part is that anyone can join this effort in deeply meaningful ways, even without a global spotlight as big as Taylor Swift’s. By visiting centralpafoodbank.org, you can learn how to organize a local food drive, make a donation or volunteer your time. And if you or someone you know needs food assistance, the “Find Help” tab on the website is ready to connect you with resources right in your neighborhood.
Shila Ulrich, MSW, is CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which is committed to ensuring that every neighbor can feed their family with dignity. The organization distributes food through 1,100 local partners stretching from the New York border to the Maryland line.