Season of Giving: 14 Stars on the Charities That Meant the Most to Them in 2023

From Garth Brooks to Simone Biles, celebrities explain which nonprofits they devoted their time to this year — and how you can help in 2024

These stories appeared throughout 2023 as part of PEOPLE's Why I Care feature.

Patrick Dempsey

This story was first published in the Jan. 2, 2023, issue.

"When my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997, I became aware of a type of complementary medicine—treating not just the disease, but the person and their family, holistically. That’s what we do at the Dempsey Center, through free counseling, support groups, integrative therapies and more. Sixteen years after we began, we’re continuing to find new ways to support people. I recently spent time with students at the Ecology School in Saco, Maine, a nonprofit environmental-education program sponsored by Poland Spring. [Dempsey is a spokesperson for the brand.] To see kids, teachers and the community utilize these resources makes you realize how important it is to reframe the way we interact with the environment. That’s part of prevention—our emotional life, what we’re ingesting—it’s all connected. For my mom [who died in 2014], volunteering with the Dempsey Center was really healing. I think she’d be proud of our growth and our reach."

For more information, go to dempseycenter.org and theecologyschool.org

Justin H. Min

This story was first published in the Feb. 27, 2023, issue.

"Last year I traveled with UNICEF to Lebanon and met with Syrian refugees. To hear the hardships they’ve endured was heart-wrenching, but at the same time, it gave me hope because they’re so resilient. [In the wake of the Feb. 2023 earthquake] UNICEF is coordinating with Turkey’s government to provide warm clothing, blankets and hygiene kits. In Syria, the focus is ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, which is critical to preventing illness after a crisis. This disaster has affected many communities, and children are among the most vulnerable. Our donations will help protect them."

For more information on UNICEF's latest humanitarian relief efforts, go to unicefusa.org

Simone Biles

This story was first published in the March 13, 2023, issue.

"I was a foster kid, so I know how hard it is to feel like no one’s there. Those young people will always have a piece of my heart, which is why Friends of the Children is so dear to me. The organization pairs kids from underserved communities with mentors. If you need a brother, sister, friend, they take on that role—from age 4 all the way through high school. On the 2021 Gold Over America [gymnastics] tour, we handed out free passes [to the show] and got to meet people involved. Now we’re bringing a chapter to Houston—I helped present them with a $50,000 check—so the kids get what they deserve: somebody to believe in them and care, every step of the way."

For more information, go to friendsofthechildren.org

Liza Koshy

This story was first published in the March 27, 2023, issue.

"I was recently at the Za’atari camp in Jordan with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), an organization that provides resources to displaced people around the world. The camp, occupied by 70,000 refugees, was created after the Syrian crisis began 12 years ago. Being inside temporary housing with a mother and her six babies was eye-opening. It stirred my soul. It’s easy to ask, “What can I do?” Start by donating, then spread the word. You never know who might get bitten by the human love bug next."

For more information, go to unhcr.org

Josh Gad

This story was first published in the May 1, 2023, issue.

"I’ll never forget my first memory hearing about the Holocaust. At age 6, I was walking with my grandmother when I looked at her bluish, fading tattoo and asked, 'Why do you have that?' She took a deep breath and said, 'When I was not much older than you, I was taken away from my parents and put through some horrible, unthinkable things.' That became the opening to what would be a very honest and intense conversation that would last the rest of my life in terms of my eagerness to pass on the information. I’m now working with the nonprofit organization If You Heard What I Heard, which shares Holocaust stories from survivors’ grandchildren. My grandparents were open about their experiences and spoke with urgency. I now realize it was a warning. That warning has real weight as we see this sort of global tide of anti-Semitism. I’m desperate to make sure that never happens in my children’s lifetime, their children’s lifetime or beyond."

For more information, go to ifyouheardwhatiheard.com

Jennie Garth

This story was first published in the May 22, 2023, issue.

"My father [John Garth, who died in 2008 of heart disease] suffered a number of strokes, and my sister had one last year. And, of course, Luke Perry passed away from a sudden stroke [in 2019]—so it’s all around me. Luke was a brother and a best friend. We met at a very young age, so that well runs very deep, and it will be there forever because of Beverly Hills, 90210. His death was devastating. It’s still devastating. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have come up with a way to make it much easier for people to detect a stroke. Remember [the acronym] F.A.S.T.: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and—when you see those things—it’s Time to call 911. Partnering with these organizations is an opportunity to honor my people and help prevent others from losing a loved one."

For more information, go to stroke.org

Helena Christensen

This story was first published in the July 3, 2023, issue.

"I started volunteering [with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] in 2015 and became an ambassador in 2019. Almost every year I’ve gone to camps, where I’ve taken photographs and talked to refugees and displaced people and shared their stories. It puts everything in perspective. We live in our little safe worlds, but these people only have their realities—and it’s way more hardcore than we can even begin to understand. I am learning in my own way. Every time I go, I try to absorb as much as I can. I met with a trans woman and learned more about her hardships and those of her community. I also met the Indigenous tribes [in Villanueva] and photographed some of the women. And I reconnected with a woman whom I first met eight years ago, who is still dealing with displacement. She’s still in the same place. I knocked on her door, and we fell into each other’s arms. Her kids are eight years older, and they’re still so caring and loving. She’s still so beautiful. Their situation is complex, but I can see the ways the UNHCR makes a difference in the lives of people like them."

For more information, go to unrefugees.org

Doug E. Fresh

This story was first published in the Aug. 14, 2023, issue.

"Hip Hop Public Health [the nonprofit Fresh launched in 2006 with Dr. Olajide Williams] is about building health literacy so we can achieve health equity. Many in the Black and Brown communities are sick, and not everyone is getting checkups. We deliver the message in a cool, relatable way [through rap-centric programs, partnerships and online resources featuring artists like Chuck D and Ashanti]. We worked with Michelle Obama on the Let’s Move! campaign. We’re going into schools. Our stroke-prevention efforts are working. [It proves] hip-hop is the biggest global cultural influence today—it’s changing lives."

For more information, go to hhph.org

Debbie Allen

This story was first published in the Sept. 18, 2023, issue.

"The Gr8 Eye Movement, a new health campaign, is personal to me. I was diagnosed as prediabetic several years ago. I was made aware of the complications, but nobody talked about [the threat it poses to] eyesight. Diabetes has ravaged my family: my father, my grandfather, my aunts and uncles. And it’s not just diabetes—there’s a huge community of us who are 60-plus and at risk for retinal diseases [like wet age-related macular degeneration and macular edema]. With this campaign, we want people on the eighth day of every month to prioritize their eye health. We want everyone to be aware of the risks and what they can do. My mom is 100, and she’s healthy and alert, but I take her to the eye doctor at least three times a year. Every time I take her, I get myself checked as well, because I know that risk is in my DNA."

For more information, go to gr8eyemovement.com

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

This story was first published in the Oct. 30, 2023, issue, before Rosalynn Carter's death on Nov. 19.

Garth: [Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have inspired us] in the ways you expect: humanity, humbleness, work ethic. But they’ve also inspired us by their example as husband and wife. We worked beside them [with Habitat for Humanity] for the last 15 years, and you notice right away they bicker back and forth about the right way to do things. That kind of works for us too!

Trisha: To whom much is given, much is expected. We’ll never fill their shoes, but we’re doing the best we can. We built in Haiti after the [2010] earthquake. When we went back [the next year], we got to see a different look on those homeowners’ faces. There was pride. They had built gardens; they had painted. I carry that with me everywhere.

Garth: For me it’s always the front door. It’s a ceremony: The first person through that door is the one wearing the red shirt that says 'Homeowner.' When they walk through that door, it just kills me. The cheers and the tears—their journey inside their house has begun. And the Carters said it best: If you go to sleep with a roof over your head, you’re spoiled.

Trisha: The first time we got on a site, we thought we were going to take some photographs, maybe hold some tools. We framed a wall that day. You learn the skill you need in the moment.

Garth: What I love is, nobody cares about anything other than 'Can you swing a hammer?' Color doesn’t matter. Male, female—doesn’t matter. It’s just, 'How much do you want to work together? How much love have you got in that hammer?'

For more information, go to habitat.org

Thomas Sadoski

This story was first published in the Nov. 13, 2023, issue.

"Anybody who has daydreamed about a better future is drawn to uplifting innocence and stopping injustice. With War Child, an organization that rebuilds communities [in Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan and elsewhere], change is tangible. We visited a school in Yemen, and the kids had pride. They were proud they were learning and making a better tomorrow than what they’re living today. I’m so grateful my wife [actress Amanda Seyfried] and I are able to do this together. We can help people regain their dignity, one of the first things stripped away during war. That feeling is priceless."

For more information, go to warchildusa.org

Lindsey Vonn

This story was first published in the Nov. 27, 2023, issue.

"In 2014, when I missed the Olympics because of an injury, I tried to find something positive I could do instead of just being depressed. I thought back to when I was 9 years old and met my idol, skier Picabo Street, who inspired me to follow my dreams. I thought, 'How can I empower more girls to follow their dreams?' We launched the Lindsey Vonn Foundation the next year. Through it, we provide scholarships and host weekend empowerment camps, teaching young people everything from body image positivity to financial independence. So far we’ve given away $1 million in scholarships—about 50 percent of that to athletic [programs]. I think sports really has a special way of teaching kids about life, specifically failure. We all fail in life sometimes. It’s how we pick ourselves back up that matters."

For more information, go to lindseyvonnfoundation.org

Rosario Dawson

This story was first published in the Dec. 25, 2023, issue.

"I’ve worked with the Lower Eastside Girls Club, which connects young women in New York City through creative programs and mentoring, for a long time. It’s been beautiful to watch it grow, but it’s been 12 years since the building was [outfitted], and it needed updating. Samsung retrofitted the space with screens you can draw on, and it’s amazing to see these kids developing their creativity and learning how technology can benefit them. It heals me to see what the club is doing for the community I grew up in. When I get stressed about what’s happening in the world, I look at [those girls] and know there’s a way forward."

For more information, go to girlsclub.org

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