Taylor Swift Feels Giving Is Something She Should Do

By Karen Bliss 10/16/10 | www.samaritanmag.com

Taylor Swift

Back in May, country-pop singer Taylor Swift donated a half a million dollars to the victims of the Tennessee flood. On her last birthday, December 13, she gave $250,000 dollars to various American schools. The 20-year-old who has sold 13 million albums worldwide and sells out arenas all over the world generously gives to numerous causes.

“Because people are the reason why I’m in a position where I’m lucky enough to be able to give back, it’s something that I should do as much as I can,” Swift tells Samaritanmag while doing promotion for her third album, Speak Now, due Oct. 25.  “For me, there’s really no list of reasons or guidelines as to whom I will donate. It’s just whatever strikes me that I’m passionate about.”

Since releasing her self-titled debut album in 2006 and becoming an instant success, she has become involved with an Internet safety campaign in Tennessee; donated money to the Red Cross for its Disaster Relief Fund; supported @15, Best Buy’s teen-fuelled social change initiative, and much more, both on small and large scales.

She particularly enjoys hearing from people she has helped.

“Some of the most amazing and wonderful feelings I’ve had is when I’m in the grocery store and someone from a school in Nashville comes up and says, ‘Hey I go to Hume-Fogg [Academic High School] and I want to thank you so much for the speaker system in our theatre because we put on a really great production last weekend,’” she recounts.

“It’s one of those things where you don’t have to give in the form of money if that’s not an option for you. Giving time is just as important and I think encouraging people to do that is something that has always been a priority for me.”

NIKE AIR HUARACHE

* Samaritanmag.com is an online magazine covering the good deeds of individuals, charities and businesses.