Social Media Sensations Ling & Lamb Reveal Their True Passion: Helping Others

Now in its third year, the Defender Service Awards honor those people and organizations who often fly under the radar but are making a huge difference in their communities, actively pioneering new and more inventive ways to help address social issues and environmental challenges. Previous recipients have been nonprofits like the Appalachian Bear Project which rehabilitates orphaned black bear cubs and releases them back into the wild, and Mercy Chefs, who travel to the most remote and difficult-to-reach destinations that have been devastated by natural disasters to bring much-needed food and supplies. These organizations were significantly helped through the Defender Service Awards, as they received $25,000 along with a fully customized Land Rover Defender 130.

And the Defender Service Awards are currently looking for more nonprofits that are working to change the world in the following categories: Veteran’s & Civil Servant Outreach; Community Services; Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services; Outdoor Accessibility & Education; and Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare.

Related: Honoring Heroes and Helpers—Are You a Hero in Your Community?

Anyone can nominate a nonprofit by filling out the Defender Service Awards online form and entering the organization’s name and email contact. The nonprofit will then receive an email with information on how to enter, which includes sending in a video up to three minutes that details their mission and how a Defender 130 vehicle would drastically help their day-to-day operations. The nomination period runs through July 21, 2023.

Inspired by this generous Land Rover initiative, we sat down with an influential couple that, like the organizations honored by the Defender Service Awards, also quietly work to effect real change in the world, locally and globally. Taccara Rae (AKA Ling) and Yinka Lawanson (AKA Lamb) have a wildly successful YouTube channel and social media presence. Their content is relatable and uncontrived, which is why they have probably earned over 3.9 million followers on TikTok alone (“famington” is what they affectionately call their fans) who feel like family. They are fun-loving yet also aren’t afraid to get deeply personal. You can watch them play pranks on each other and the next day be witness to them having a heart-to-heart about why they don’t have children after being married for four years. But it’s their charitable works that are perhaps the most inspiring.

Related: 10 Funniest Pranks To Do on Your Boyfriend, According to Hilarious Social Media Stars Ling & Lamb

Lamb was born in Nigeria and is a well-known musician. Ling was raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. Though worlds apart, they still found each other and connected on many different levels, with one being their passion to use their talents to help others. Parade sat down with them to talk about both their professional and charitable endeavors.

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What was the impetus for your YouTube Channel?

Lamb: We first started off on TikTok and gained a beautiful community that kept requesting to see more of us—and asking why don’t we do long form. Honestly, even though we have always been into entertainment, we had never posted on YouTube so we just said to ourselves that we would figure it out. We didn’t worry about how to grow subscribers or any of that.

Ling: We just started sharing our life—keeping it real. People always say, ‘You are a breath of fresh air. I can watch with my grandmother or my kids and it's all just good fun.’

How has your platform helped to further your charitable giving?

Ling: We have long worked to help others in need, even before we started on TikTok and YouTube, but we love that we can help get the word out about different charities like the Defender Service Awards. We own a Defender vehicle so we were excited to hear about this initiative. It is core to who we are individually and as a couple, so it was a no-brainer to be part of this project that supports [those] who give so selflessly every single day.

How and why did you start the Prison Project?

Lamb: If you know a little bit about Nigeria, it's a country with a lot of struggles. The Prison Project came about because I was an entertainer and wanted to use my voice and my platform for good. Initially, I just thought I’d bring my other musician friends, perform for the inmates, cook some food, give them some clothes and leave. But then after a couple of visits, I realized there were many young boys that were incarcerated unjustly for minor infractions. So, I used my access to TV and radio stations to ask for lawyers to help those boys who were not involved in major crimes. When I came to America, I continued this initiative and have entertained and visited more than 4,000 inmates in six different prisons.

You also are involved in helping those in medical need in Nigeria. Please explain a little more about your efforts.

Lamb: One day, a nurse at a local hospital reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to come visit the kids in her unit. Of course, I said ‘yes’ and put on my baseball cap so I wouldn’t be recognized. When I got to the unit, I realized there were so many who couldn't pay for surgery, they couldn't pay for medication. And the cost was so little. If you convert it to American dollars, you're talking about $20-$50. I told my fellow musician friends and they were interested in helping and so it started.

Ling: To this day, we and one of Lamb’s friends are still helping a little girl we met when she was just eight years old. She was from a poor family and was struggling in the hospital. We set up a scholarship for her schooling and are happy to say that she is now doing great.

How did you continue your charitable giving during COVID?

Ling: We were concerned about our elderly neighbors who were more at risk. They were having a hard time getting groceries and other staples so Lamb and I started shopping for them and delivering necessities to their doors—whatever we could do to help. The word got out and it all came full circle. One of the inmates Lamb had visited in prison heard and sent us $300 to help in our efforts. He was touched by Lamb’s generosity towards his fellow inmates and wanted to pay it forward.

Are there other charitable organizations you are involved with?

Ling: I grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, so I've always been involved with two communities that hit close to home for me, one of which is Open Doors. It is a type of shelter that helps anybody who's struggling with poverty and/or homelessness. They are amazing: They liaise with the community, they make sure people have meals, they help with job placement—they run the full gamut, so we work with them. We also donate to Filling in the Blanks, another local Connecticut-based charity. They help families in need who are not necessarily at poverty level, but they can't get assistance and can't make it through on their own. So, it's like filling in the blank for them.

Thanks to Ling and Lamb for sitting down with us. Please check out their Instagram for their special message about the Defender Service Awards.

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