Beyoncé Gave Hurricane Victims An Emotional Visit In Texas: "Houston Is My Home"
It's been more than two weeks since Hurricane Harvey touched down in Houston on Aug. 25., and the road to recovery is a long one. Thankfully, there are a lot of people stepping up to help. Many celebrities have already donated to the relief efforts, and now, one of the most well-known singers in the world is helping out her hometown. Things got emotional when Beyoncé visited Hurricane Harvey Victims in Texas.
According to US Weekly, the singer traveled back to Houston on Sept. 8. She went to visit St. John's Church, the church she attended as a child, to speak to Hurricane Harvey survivors. She was also accompanied by her mother, Tina Knowles Lawson, her daughter, Blue Ivy, and Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child. The superstar displayed her raw emotion as she spoke about how much she loves and cares for the her hometown and the safety of its residents:
Y'all are my family. Houston is my home. I thank God that you're safe, your children are safe. I think that what really matters is your health and your children and your family. And I just wanna say I love you. I've been blessed so that I can bless other people, and I ask of God to continue to do that for other people.
She also praised the resilience of the Houston crowd gathered together in the church, calling the event a "celebration of survival." St. John's Church holds a special place in Beyoncé's heart. She spoke about memories of singing in the church as a young girl, and said,
I was maybe 9 or 10 years old the first time I sat there where my daughter is sitting. I sang my first solo here and I just wanna thank you for lifting my family up, for praying for me, and for being such an incredible example of what light and love is.
After watching the video of the speech, it's clear that Beyoncé is a hometown girl. As her voice breaks while she addresses the crowd, you can tell that she's legitimately concerned about what flood survivors must be going through. She is inspired by the way the city is coming together to lift each other up and rebuild their home.
The Lemonade singer wasn't all talk, though. She also sponsored a lunch for 400 of the Harvey survivors through her BeyGOOD organization. Knowles, Lawson, and Williams helped serve the flood victims during the gathering. The singer was seen later in the day serving food to more Harvey survivors, with Blue Ivy helping out right alongside her.
Unlike other celebrities who have donated to the cause, Bey hasn't publicly announced a donation with a specific dollar amount. That doesn't mean that the singer isn't helping, though. According to Rudy Rasmus, the pastor of St. John's Church, she has donated to relief efforts. He told Entertainment Tonight,
She's starting out with a significant donation, and that donation is getting us to launch out into some areas that help us more effectively impact the communities that have been the most affected.
It appears that she cares very deeply for her hometown and childhood church, because Rasmus went on to say, "She has, over the years, been very generous to our cause, and we continue to work together." He also called her "a huge benefactor to our efforts here in Houston, Texas."
When news of Harvey first broke, she told the Houston Chronicle, "I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor to implement a plan to help as many as we can."
From the looks of her visit on Friday, Queen Bey is doing just that.
