Meghan Markle praises the ‘quiet heroes’ feeding the hungry amid pandemic
Meghan Markle appears on CNN to pay tribute to ‘quiet heroes’ of the COVID pandemic and the ‘power of the human spirit’ in first appearance since revealing her miscarriage in New York Times
- Meghan Markle has praised the ‘quiet heroes’ who helped feed the hungry during the coronavirus pandemic
- It was her first public announcement since she revealed she suffered a miscarriage in an article last month
- In a pre-taped message on Sunday’s CNN Heroes special she highlighted how hunger surged in the US during the coronavirus crisis and how Good Samaritans helped those in need
- Sitting on a bench that appeared to be in the grounds of her $14million Montecito, California mansion she praised food workers and said ‘we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope
- She praised neighbors who fed children when kids’ lunch programs were paused and those who delivered food to the elderly and immunocompromised
- ‘We know the value of food; as nourishment, as a life source…the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much-needed hug,’ she said
Meghan Markle made her first public appearance on Sunday night since revealing she suffered a miscarriage as she praised the ‘quiet heroes’ of the coronavirus pandemic in a clip recorded for CNN.
Sitting on a bench that appeared to be in the grounds of the $14million California mansion she shares with Harry – who was not involved in the video – the Duchess of Sussex praised essential workers and volunteers who had supported their communities.
‘We saw communities standing up and taking action,’ she said. ‘When kids’ lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbors make sure that those children received the nutrition they need. And when those who are immunocompromised or most vulnerable couldn’t leave their homes, we, as a community, showed up to deliver the food they needed to their doorsteps.
‘We have the power to remind someone else that there is hope,’ she added.
It is the first time the Duchess has been seen since she wrote an article for the New York Times in November, revealing she lost her child in July, and described the ‘unbearable grief’ it caused her and Prince Harry.
She did not address her own tragic loss during Sunday’s video statement, but described 2020 as ‘a year that has been universally challenging for everyone,’ before praising those who rose to the occasion and fed their hungry neighbors going through tough times.
‘Tonight, we are celebrating these quiet heroes, some of whom I know and others that we applaud from afar,’ she said.
Meghan Markle made her first public appearance on Sunday night since revealing she suffered a miscarriage as she praised the ‘quiet heroes’ of the coronavirus pandemic in a video recorded for CNN
It was her first public announcement since revealing she suffered a miscarriage in a candid article published last month. Markle and Prince Harry pictured holding their baby Archie in October last year
Prince Harry did not appear with Meghan in the short clip for CNN, unlike the couple’s controversial video for Time 100 in September where they appeared to back Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential election.
Speaking in the Time 100 video message, also filmed from their luxury $14.7million Montecito, California home,
Prince Harry told voters to ‘reject hate speech’ while Meghan called the presidential race the ‘most important election of our lifetime’.
While Harry and Meghan did not name their favored candidate, many viewers thought it ‘obvious’ they were backing Joe Biden over Donald Trump – although a source close to Harry denied this.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman later appeared to wash their hands of Harry and Meghan, saying in a statement; The Duke is not a working member of the Royal Family and any comments he makes are made in a personal capacity.’
‘We know the value of food; as nourishment, as a life source, and in the moments of crisis, the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much-needed hug – especially in the absence of human contact due to the social distancing we’re all experiencing,’ the former actress added
Meghan Markle has praised the ‘quiet heroes’ who helped feed the hungry during the coronavirus pandemic saying, ‘We have the power to remind someone else that there is hope.’
On Sunday, Meghan gave a video statement for CNN Heroes from the garden of her Montecito mansion.
The mother-of-one and Harry have volunteered with several organizations dedicated to combating hunger in the Los Angeles area throughout the pandemic.
‘We know the value of food; as nourishment, as a life source, and in the moments of crisis, the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much-needed hug — especially in the absence of human contact due to the social distancing we’re all experiencing.’
‘In a year that has been universally challenging for everyone, I’m inspired by the stories of compassion in our communities. Across the country, people have put their own needs aside to come together and support the collective well-being of those around them,’ she said in the pre-taped message.
‘Back in March, the COVID-19 crisis hit hard, and overnight everything seemed to change. For many families, the impact of the pandemic has been catastrophic, and far too many were faced with the heartbreaking question: How am I going to put food on the table for my family?’ she said.
Meghan filmed the message from her and Prince Harry’ new $14.7million mansion in Montecito, California
The home was built in 2003. The estate has sweeping lawns, tiered rose gardens, tall Italian cypress trees, blooming lavender, century old olive trees, a tennis court, tea house, children’s cottage and a pool
Photos of the home offer a close up of its stunning exterior, with Ivy growing up the facade and blue shutters
She highlighted a surge in hunger in the country, sparked by rising unemployment and the inability for vulnerable populations – like the elderly and at-risk residents – to safely get enough food for themselves.
‘But in the face of this devastating reality, we also saw the power of the human spirit and the remarkable ways that communities respond in challenging times. We saw the good in people, in our neighbors and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbors went hungry,’ she added.
‘These individuals stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met. They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation. They nourished their neighbors in more ways than one.
‘And they showed us, all of us, that even in the darkest times, when we come together, we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope, and that we will be okay,’ she concluded.
By the end of this year more than 50million people could experience food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger-relief organization – that’s one in six Americans. The staggering number is a nearly 50 percent increase from 2019.
Throughout the pandemic and Thanksgiving holiday food banks have been inundated with long lines of hungry Americans who have lost jobs in the pandemic or don’t have enough food to put on the table.
Feeding America said they have never handed out so much food so fast, serving 4.2billion meals from March through October, a 60 percent increase due to the pandemic where four in 10 guests are first-timers.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen in LA wearing masks as they deliver meals with Project Angel Food to residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic on April 17
Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, pictured in June with former gang members at a bakery in Los Angeles making food for the elderly in the area
The Duchess of Sussex, who had previously taken part in workshops with the organization as a teenager, pictured packing food boxes
In August Harry and Meghan handed out school supplies, clothing and diapers to families in need at a drive-thru event in Los Angeles organised by charity baby2baby
The couple volunteered at charity Baby2Baby, which provides basic necessities for families in need, on August 19. Pictured, Prince Harry handing supplies through vehicle windows
Markle and Prince Harry share a 19-month-old son named Archie.
Since leaving the UK to return to her home state of California, Markle has volunteered with several local organizations.
In her November New York Times piece, Markle revealed she lost her second child in July after feeling a ‘sharp cramp’ while changing her son Archie’s diaper
In April she and Harry helped distribute meals for Project Angel Food, a non-profit that prepares and delivers meals to people living with critical illnesses who face greater risks during the pandemic.
In June, the couple worked with Homeboy Industries, a community social justice organization that helps the formerly incarcerated and former gang members. They joined the group’s participants working in a café and bakery and helped them make food for the #FeedHOPE program which distributes meals to seniors and youth who face food insecurity sparked by the pandemic.
The couple helped bake bread, fold dough and organize food boxes for distribution.
Then in August the couple handed out boxes of supplies, clothes and diapers at a drive-thru event with Baby2baby, a non-profit dedicated to helping families in need.
In her November New York Times piece, Markle revealed she lost her second child in July after feeling a ‘sharp cramp’ while changing her son Archie’s diaper.
‘After changing his [Archie’s] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,’ she wrote.
In the piece called ‘The Losses We Share’, she said: ‘I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.’
She was praised for helping break the taboo surrounding child loss and to stop the ‘cycle of solitary mourning.’
