Taylor Swift just gave $13,000 to 2 struggling moms

There are so many stories in the news right now about parents who are struggling with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We at Motherly have written a few of them, and so has The Washington Post.

We now know that Taylor Swift reads The Post, because after the newspaper profiled a couple of moms who are struggling with the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis, Swift donated to their GoFundMe accounts.

Nikki Cornwell told The Post about how she’s thousands of dollars behind on her rent after being laid off in March and that her water has been cut off.

“I will get evicted soon with my kids who are in virtual school and need Internet,” Cornwell, who lives with her mom and two children, told the newspaper. “I’ve had bad moments, but never anything like this.”

Fellow mom Shelbie Selewski, too, lost her job in May and owes thousands in back rent. She’s struggling to keep her infant (who was born with a collapsed lung) safe from COVID-19 while also guiding her older child through virtual school (which is hard when your electricity gets shut off).

After Taylor Swift read the article she donated $13,000 each to these mothers!

“I read about you in the Washington Post and thought it was really brave of you to share your story,” she wrote in a note accompanying her donation to Cornwell. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve had to go through this year and wanted to send you this gift, from one Nashville girl to another.”

Her note to Selewski reads: “I’m sending you this gift after reading about you in the Washington Post. No one should have to feel the kind of stress that’s been put on you. I hope you and your beautiful family have a great holiday season.”

It’s an awesome act of kindness, but mothers shouldn’t have to depend on the generosity of pop stars to get by in America. Our society needs to come to together to support mothers during this crisis. If Swift can do it, employers and the United States government can, too.