Taylor Swift makes “substantial” donation to Amsterdam food banks

Pop star Taylor Swift continued her practice of making significant donations to food banks during her touring schedule. The 34-year-old made a "substantial" donation to Voedselbank Amsterdam, the city's main food bank organization, ahead of her second of three performances in the capital, a spokesperson for the food bank told NL Times on Friday.

The Voedselbank Amsterdam staff received a call from one of Swift’s colleagues on Friday morning to notify the food bank about the donation pledge. The organization's staff members were somewhat surprised by the call. They knew about Swift’s past generosity with similar organizations in the United Kingdom and in the United States.

“But when that first concert in Amsterdam happened, I thought that moment had passed,” the spokesperson said. Swift gave her first performance at the city's Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday, and her three-day stop in the capital wraps up on Saturday night.

“There were rumors, but mostly from journalists calling with questions,” the spokesperson said, acknowledging reporters have been actively contacting the food bank this week. The amount of the donation was “substantial,” but she would not specify the amount due to their privacy policy. She also would not put the donation into context regarding the amount of meals or food packages it will allow them to distribute.

Swift also made large donations to similar organizations during her tour dates in the United Kingdom. In Liverpool, her donation to the St. Andrews Community Network was expected to have a "massive" impact, the organization said in June. The nonprofit group operates 11 food banks, and eight other pantry locations in the city.

Her donation to the Cardiff Foodbank was the largest ever received by an individual. It will allow them to provide about 10,800 meals to people in total. Swift's donation to the Amsterdam service was not the largest they ever received, but it was extremely helpful.

“We think it’s great that a star like Taylor Swift reaches out to people in need,” she added. Anyone who wants to donate to the Amsterdam food bank, or contribute to the national Voedselbanken, can do so through their respective websites.

The food bank service does not have a specific ongoing fundraising target, but the spokesperson said that they learned from the coronavirus pandemic that situations can change rapidly. She noted that the new Cabinet has also not made their budget plans clear, which could lead to an increase or a cut in government support.

“You never know what is around the corner,” she stated.