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Meghan Markle has continued to show her support for victims of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires despite critics questioning her motives.
On Monday, the Duchess of Sussex quietly volunteered her time and resources with Altadena Teen Girls, an organization launched by 14-year-old Avery Colvert aimed “to restore normalcy for the teenage victims” affected by the fires.
Markle, 43, arrived at the Boyle Heights pop-up with her hands full, donating bags of new clothing and beauty products. She also provided lunch for all the volunteers.
The former “Suits” star was spotted chatting with families, providing support and helping the teens sort through all the donations.
A few days later, the foundation’s official Instagram shared behind-the-scenes footage from the event, which briefly included the “With Love, Meghan” star.
The duchess tried to stay under the radar in all-black workout gear with an “LA” baseball hat.
In the clip, Markle was seen with two full totes slung over each shoulder as she spoke with Colvert.
The Altadena Teen Girls founder, whose school burned down in the fires, previously told the Los Angeles Times she wanted to help girls “who lost their homes feel like themselves — and feel confident again.”
Her goal was to “gather clothes, personal items, beauty and hair care products – the everyday items that allow these teenagers to thrive and carry on amidst challenging circumstances.”
The American Riviera Orchard founder wasn’t the only celebrity who caught wind of the project. Paris Hilton, Charli XCX, Max Greenfield and Markle’s BFF Mindy Kaling also contributed to the cause.
Additionally, Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, made an undisclosed financial donation to the local organization.
The Altadena Teen Girls page specifically thanked the couple’s Archwell Foundation for their “support.”
The former royals also teamed up with José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen Foundation to serve “meals to both first responders and victims of the fire” last week.
Markle and Harry, 40, have dedicated most of their time and resources to recovery efforts ever since the fires began on Jan. 7.
Last week, the two were spotted distributing food and essentials to victims outside the Pasadena Convention Center.
Pasadena’s mayor, Victor Gordo, said people were “very happy” to see them and they “really buoyed the spirits of the first responders.”
“They want to be as helpful as they can be … we visited with some of the affected families in some of the burned-out areas in Pasadena and Altadena,” he told reporters. “They took the time to meet the people that are affected and spent time. They’re just very caring people who are concerned for their friends and neighbors.”
While some people labeled Harry and Markle as “disaster tourists” looking for a “photo op,” an insider told Page Six that they are driven by empathy, not self-promotion.
“[They have] invested significant time and resources, they have donated money and essential items,” the source said. “They have also dedicated countless hours to volunteering, long before the media even caught wind of their involvement.”
The insider noted that Markle “was born and raised in Los Angeles so this is, and always will be, home to her.” The couple also opened up their $14 million Montecito, Calif., mansion for friends and family impacted by the fires.
