Family story goes viral
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder donated $10,000 to a mother seeking help this holiday season. The mother, Tyshika Britten, from Maryland, had asked for assistance through a kind of American 'yellow pages,' posting a message requesting help to buy Christmas presents for her children, as she was already in debt for rent.
“I am a mother of 6 children, five boys and a baby girl (…) I am trying my best. I pray every day and now I am begging for help. I know that Christmas isn't just about presents, but they are children. I feel like a failure… Please help me.”
Vedder learned about the family's situation through the Washington Post, which ran a story about individuals seeking help through classified ads. The musician then donated $10,000 to the family:
“I was moved by the story and by what this mother did for her children. I thought they must be very proud of their mother for doing this. It takes a lot of courage.”
Vedder's donation wasn't the only one; an online campaign was launched to help the family, which has already tripled the expected sum of $6,000.
During their tour in Brazil in 2015, Pearl Jam gave a speech in support of the victims of the Mariana tragedy and donated the band's performance fee to those affected.
