Remembering the time Madonna spent Thanksgiving with LGBT homeless youths
The queen of pop, and our hearts, has proven her worth many times with the LGBT community.
She proved her credentials once again last year as she spent Thanksgiving with homeless children living in an LGBT youth centre.
The Ali Forney Centre in New York City provides a home for LGBT youth and gives them the tools necessary to live independently.
In an adorable group selfie, Madonna explained that she opted to spend the holidays with the kids because “everyone deserves to be loved and everyone deserves a home.”
The organisation, which is named after a 13 year old who left home after their family couldn’t accept their gender identity, works with children across New York to learn how live independently and not fall into homelessness later in life.
“This center protects LGBT Youth from the harms of homelessness and empowers them to reclaim their lives. Each year the Ali Forney Center provides care for over 1,200 youth who are rejected by their family due to their LGBT identity.”
“AFC provides these youth with tools they need to become independent and more importantly, AFC provides these youth with the love and support they are denied by their families. Because everyone deserves to be loved and everyone deserves a home,” the singer wrote on instagram.
The centre supports nearly 1,400 children every year who’ve become homeless after being kicked out by their families who were un-accepting of their gender or sexual identity.
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The centre has 10 housing sites across the state, and a drop-in centre which is where Madonna went to meet with some of the kids relying on the service.
It isn’t the only time Madonna has proved her charity credentials, either.
The legendary singer beamed with pride as she opened the new peadiatric ward funded by her charity.
She was joined by her three adoptive children Stella, Mercy and David for the unveiling.
The Mercy James Institute for Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care at the city’s Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital is named after one of her children, Mercy James.
(Photo credit AMOS GUMULIRA/AFP/Getty Images)
The new wing has taken two years to build and contains three operating theatres and a 50-bed ward.
It’s the first specialist health unit for children opened in Malawi.
The new institue means the capacity for paediatric care at the hospital will now be doubled.
The US pop queen adopted two children from the African nation a few months earlier.
Announcing that she had adopted the girls, Madonna wrote on Instagram: “I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family.
“I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible, and I ask the media please to respect our privacy during this transitional time.
“Thank you also to my friends, family and my very large team for all your support and Love!”
