Meghan Markle appears on CNN to pay tribute to 'quiet heroes' of the COVID pandemic and the 'power of the human spirit' in first appearance since revealing her miscarriage in New York Times
Meghan Markle made her first public appearance on Sunday night since revealing she suffered a miscarriage as she praised the 'quiet heroes' of the coronavirus pandemic in a video recorded for CNN.
Sitting on a bench that appeared to be in the grounds of the $14million California mansion she shares with Harry, the Duchess of Sussex praised food workers and said 'we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope.'
It is the first time the Duchess has been seen since she wrote an article for the New York Times revealing she lost her child in July, and described the 'unbearable grief' it caused her and Prince Harry.
The Duchess said: 'We saw communities standing up and taking action. When kids' lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbors make sure that those children received the nutrition they need. And when those who are immunocompromised or most vulnerable couldn't leave their homes, we, as a community, showed up to deliver the food they needed to their doorsteps.
'We know the value of food; as nourishment, as a life source, and in the moments of crisis, the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much-needed hug -- especially in the absence of human contact due to the social distancing we're all experiencing.'
Meghan Markle has praised the 'quiet heroes' who helped feed the hungry during the coronavirus pandemic saying, 'We have the power to remind someone else that there is hope.'
Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex honors the people working to feed those in need during the pandemic on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. Get Involved: https://t.co/MkgzSomt7H pic.twitter.com/jnPzPtmBGx
— CNN Heroes (@CNNHeroes) December 14, 2020
Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex honors the people working to feed those in need during the pandemic on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. Get Involved: https://t.co/MkgzSomt7H pic.twitter.com/jnPzPtmBGx
The mother-of-one and Harry have volunteered with several organizations dedicated to combating hunger in the Los Angeles area throughout the pandemic.
'In a year that has been universally challenging for everyone, I'm inspired by the stories of compassion in our communities. Across the country, people have put their own needs aside to come together and support the collective well-being of those around them,' she said in the pre-taped message.
'Back in March, the COVID-19 crisis hit hard, and overnight everything seemed to change. For many families, the impact of the pandemic has been catastrophic, and far too many were faced with the heartbreaking question: How am I going to put food on the table for my family?' she said.
She highlighted a surge in hunger in the country, sparked by rising unemployment and the inability for vulnerable populations - like the elderly and at-risk residents - to safely get enough food for themselves.
'But in the face of this devastating reality, we also saw the power of the human spirit and the remarkable ways that communities respond in challenging times. We saw the good in people, in our neighbors and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbors went hungry,' she added.
'We saw the good in people, in our neighbors and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbors went hungry,' she said in a pre-taped message that aired on Sunday's CNN Heroes special
'We know the value of food; as nourishment, as a life source, and in the moments of crisis, the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much-needed hug - especially in the absence of human contact due to the social distancing we're all experiencing,' the former actress added
It was her first public announcement since revealing she suffered a miscarriage in a candid article published last month. Markle and Prince Harry pictured holding their baby Archie in October last year
She praised the volunteers and workers who rose to the occasion and fed their hungry neighbors going through tough times.
'Tonight, we are celebrating these quiet heroes, some of whom I know and others that we applaud from afar,' she said.
'These individuals stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met. They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation. They nourished their neighbors in more ways than one.
'And they showed us, all of us, that even in the darkest times, when we come together, we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope, and that we will be okay,' she concluded.
By the end of this year more than 50million people could experience food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger-relief organization – that’s one in six Americans. The staggering number is a nearly 50 percent increase from 2019.
Throughout the pandemic and Thanksgiving holiday food banks have been inundated with long lines of hungry Americans who have lost jobs in the pandemic or don’t have enough food to put on the table.
Feeding America said they have never handed out so much food so fast, serving 4.2billion meals from March through October, a 60 percent increase due to the pandemic where four in 10 guests are first-timers.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen in LA wearing masks as they deliver meals with Project Angel Food to residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic on April 17
Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, pictured in June with former gang members at a bakery in Los Angeles making food for the elderly in the area
The Duchess of Sussex, who had previously taken part in workshops with the organization as a teenager, pictured packing food boxes
In August Harry and Meghan handed out school supplies, clothing and diapers to families in need at a drive-thru event in Los Angeles organised by charity baby2baby
The couple volunteered at charity Baby2Baby, which provides basic necessities for families in need, on August 19. Pictured, Prince Harry handing supplies through vehicle windows
Markle and Prince Harry share a 19-month-old son named Archie.
Since leaving the UK to return to her home state of California, Markle has volunteered with several local organizations.
In her November New York Times piece, Markle revealed she lost her second child in July after feeling a 'sharp cramp' while changing her son Archie’s diaper
In April she and Harry helped distribute meals for Project Angel Food, a non-profit that prepares and delivers meals to people living with critical illnesses who face greater risks during the pandemic.
In June the couple worked with Homeboy Industries, a community social justice organization that helps the formerly incarcerated and former gang members. They joined the group’s participants working in a café and bakery and helped them make food for the #FeedHOPE program which distributes meals to seniors and youth who face food insecurity sparked by the pandemic.
The couple helped bake bread, fold dough and organize food boxes for distribution.
Then in August the couple handed out boxes of supplies, clothes and diapers at a drive-thru event with Baby2baby, a non-profit dedicated to helping families in need.
In her November New York Times piece, Markle revealed she lost her second child in July after feeling a 'sharp cramp' while changing her son Archie’s diaper.
'After changing his Archie' diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,' she wrote.
In the piece called 'The Losses We Share', she said: 'I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.'
She was praised for helping break the taboo surrounding child loss and to stop the 'cycle of solitary mourning.'