Entertainment

Aretha Franklin To Donate Hotel Rooms, Food To Flint Residents Amid Water Crisis

The Queen of Soul is one of many celebrities who has offered a helping hand to the troubled city.
Dominique Mosbergen

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

Credit: AP

The Queen of Soul’s got a big voice -- and a big heart, too.

As residents of Flint, Michigan continue to grapple with the toxic water crisis, Aretha Franklin has stepped forward with a generous offer of assistance.

According to WDIV-TV, Franklin plans to provide free hotel rooms for up to 50 Flint residents at the Holiday Inn in Southfield. The singer, who grew up in Detroit, will also donate food to residents in need.

“Detroiters usually come to the aid of Detroiters -- and Flint is certainly regarded as Detroit,” Franklin told the news outlet. “Hang in there.”

Many big names and local organizations have offered a helping hand to Flint during this challenging time.

Scroll down to see what celebrities like Cher and Jimmy Fallon are doing to assist city residents. Also learn what you can do:

Cher
Lucas Jackson / Reuters
The pop diva led the pack when she sent 181,000 bottles of water to Flint residents.
Pearl Jam
Peter Still via Getty Images
Pearl Jam donated $125,000 to the United Way of Genesee County, and persuaded a group of friends and partners, including Ticketmaster, to give an additional $175,000. They also set up a CrowdRise page that has pulled in over $350,000.
Wisconsin Churches
Raymond Boyd via Getty Images
A group of churches in Racine, Milwaukee and Kenosha, Wisconsin came together to collect and donate 72,000 cans of water to Flint.
Girl Scouts
Rick Kern via Getty Images
Brownie Girl Scout Troop 71729 sent letters to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) asking him to take action for Flint residents. "I am so mad," one Girl Scout wrote. "Flint's water is not good for kids to drink and eat. It is lead," wrote another member.
Who Is Hussain?
Who Is Hussain
The Michigan-based Muslim charity Who Is Hussain? has donated 30,000 bottles of water to Flint.
Detroit Lions
Mark Cunningham via Getty Images
A group of Lions team members, led by defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, donated 94,000 bottles of water to Flint.
Mark Wahlberg and Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Noel Vasquez via Getty Images
Wahlberg and Diddy may seem an unlikely duo, but they are both part-owners of a bottled water company called AQUAhydrate. The two contributed a combined donation of 1 million water bottles.
AT&T
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Telecommunications firm AT&T, which is based in Detroit, donated $50,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint for water relief efforts.
Jimmy Fallon
Mike Segar / Reuters
The TV host donated $10,000 and asked 10 friends to match his donation on Twitter.
Madonna
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Madonna was one of the celebrities who responded to Jimmy Fallon's challenge. She announced on Instagram that she will donate $10,000 to Flint residents.
Anheuser-Busch
Doug McKay/HMS Group via Getty Images
The beer giant is sending 50,000 cans (of water!) to Flint that are set to arrive in the first week of February.
Meek Mill
Kevork Djansezian / Reuters
Rapper Meek Mill (Nicki Minaj's boyfriend) sent 60,000 bottles of water and an "undisclosed lump sum of money" to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.
Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark
Robert Galbraith / Reuters
The founder of Craigslist announced a "Water for Flint" challenge on CrowdRise, in which he pledged to send 100 cases of water to the United Way of Southeastern Michigan for every $20 donation his campaign received.
How To Help
Dennis Pajot via Getty Images
If you'd like to help the residents of Flint, consider donating to the United Way or the Red Cross. Or you can offer to volunteer for the Flint Water Response Team. Check out more ways to contribute here.

More News About the Flint Water Crisis:

How Flint's Water Got Poisonous

How A Stubborn Pediatrician Forced The State To Take Flint's Water Crisis Seriously

Obama Calls Flint Water Crisis 'Inexplicable And Inexcusable'

What's Happening In Flint Could Happen In Lots Of Other Places

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Before You Go

Dominique Mosbergen - Senior Reporter, HuffPost

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

aretha franklinflintflint water crisisflint michigancelebrities helping flint

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