Beyonce Helps Raise Money For Flint, Michigan

There are not many musicians who have the power that Beyoncé does. Almost every move she makes is documented, whether it's a new haircut, a vacation around the world, or snaps from the backstage of her tour. And Bey makes sure to keep in touch with her supportive fan base. But there is still a very private side to the superstar, and I think it's wonderful that she chooses her charity work to be one of the things she fiercely protects and supports. Time reports that Beyoncé has helped raise over $82,000 for the Flint water crisis, and it was all done with the help of her fans.

Without any particular pomp and circumstance, representatives for Beyoncé's company, Parkwood Entertainment, presented the United Way of Genesee County, where Flint is located, the generous check at a local high school, and announced that along with this donation, 14 students from the school would receive "college gifts to help with their educational expenses." To make this gift even better, Bey also gave the 14 students tickets to her Formation show in Detroit.

In fact, it was through her tour that Bey made it easy for her fans to give back, as they were given the option to donate to the United Way while buying show tickets. Now, that is a beautiful way to bring your fans together even more.

Through her philanthropic platform, BeyGOOD, Beyoncé is also making sure to inspire fans to work with their community, with the United Way sharing that "hundreds of fans have joined forces with their local United Ways across North America to help build stronger communities."

Although we know that Bey likes to be vocal with certain humanitarian efforts she supports, her large donations are often done in private. She wants the donation and support to speak for itself and the attention to be on the organization, rather than her.

We know that Bey loves a good surprise — you know, like dropping an amazing album out of the blue — and she keeps up with this trait when it comes to a lot of her charity work. In 2014, the Huffington Post reported that over the years, Bey had quietly donated over $7 million to the homeless in Houston, her hometown. She helped launch an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and provided shelter, meals, and job training for 43 people.

In 2015, filmmaker, activist, and friend to Jay Z and Bey, dream hampton, responded to detractors who accused them of not doing enough to help social issues. In a series of tweets, hampton explained that when Black Lives Matter needed money for infrastructure, the Carters wrote a huge check. She also said that they had too many contributions to list and "that they always insist folk keep quiet." She didn't expound on why they prefer to keep quiet about their charitable work, but all that should matter is that the results of their donations and support are being felt by those they are helping.

The U.S. President of United Way Worldwide, Stacey D. Stewart, said in a press release of this recent donation and partnership with Bey and the Formation tour,

We are so grateful for the support Beyoncé has given to those in Flint and the way she has inspired her fans to fight for the education, health and financial stability of everyone in their communities...This partnership demonstrates just how easy it can be to give back.

Bey has shown us that giving back doesn't have to be so difficult and far-fetched, and with her humble approach, she is making philanthropy (and everything else) just look so easy.