Former The Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel is currently planning to send a supertanker - essentially a fire truck in a plane - to help save the Amazon. Fires have been raging in the Brazilian rainforest for weeks now.
Frankel, who recently announced her departure from The Real Housewives of New York, has been heavily involved in philanthropy ever since 2017, when the U.S. was hit twice by two intense hurricanes. First, Hurricane Harvey ravaged Louisiana and Texas, and then Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico. Frankel provided aid for survivors of both these storms, bringing plane-fulls of food, water, cash cards, and supplies. She formed the disaster relief program Bstrong, through which she collects donations and invests her own money, in order to give valuable resources to those in need. Most recently, she said she plans to send a supertanker to help put out the fires in the Amazon, which have been destroying the rainforest.
On Twitter, Frankel wrote that she wanted to "attack the Amazon crisis" and help save the lives of the indigenous tribes and animals that live there. She later shared specifics, along with photos of the fires, explaining that her team was already on the ground and providing humanitarian and fire fighting support. Frankel added she'd be asking other millionaires and billionaires to get involved in the cause, including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, as she's been disappointed with the lack of action taken among celebrities and people in positions of power. In addition to helping with the fires, Frankel and her team will also be in the shelters handing out cash cards and other resources.
The reality TV star explained that a lot of the images of the fires being released are inaccurate due to a lack of access. She blamed celebrities for sharing inaccurate photos and information purely for public relations reasons. Once her team was in Brazil, however, she shared some verified photos of the disaster, along with her hashtag #ThisIsaCrisis. Frankel's approach is very different from other charitable organizations, which she referred to as "corrupt," because her program puts cash and supplies directly into the hands of those affected. She said that in many places she's helped, the government or various organizations would hoard funds, denying relief for those in need.
It's amazing to see what Frankel's managed to organize in such a short amount of time. There's still a lot of work left to be done in the Amazon, and hopefully she and her team can make a significant impact. If anyone would like to contribute to the Bstrong program, donate here. And remember to share accurate and actionable information about the fires, so that everyone can be as helpful as possible, and so that no one is giving money to organizations that don't deserve it.
Source: Bethenny Frankel