The holiday season is known as the season of giving, and Today and NBCUniversal have partnered with LEGO to celebrate it with #ShareKindness. Aiming to fill their Share Kindness box with one million LEGOs, representing one million acts of individual kindness, by the end of this year.
For Monday’s (Dec. 5) act of kindness, they teamed up with Lady Gaga and her Born This Way Foundation, which aims to empower young people to be nicer to one another. Leading by example, this segment followed Lady Gaga on a recent visit to the Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBTQ youth in Harlem, N.Y.
“Kindness to me is an action of love, or a showing of love to someone else. And I also believe that kindness is the cure to violence and hatred around the world,” Gaga said in an interview.
Related
Surprising the youth at the shelter, the Joanne singer gifted them with new clothing, luxury items like makeup, and most importantly, an ear to listen to them.
“These children are not just homeless or in need; many of them are trauma survivors. They’ve been rejected in some type of way,” says Gaga. “My own trauma in my life has helped me understand the trauma of others.”
Sitting on the floor in a circle with the kids, Lady Gaga bravely opens up to the youth and divulges for the first time that she suffers from PTSD after being raped at the age of 19. She candidly discusses using meditation and mantras to help her remain calm, and gives each youth a written, personal inspiration message to use as their own.
“Lady Gaga’s act of kindness today was a reminder that love still exists, and that there’s still some for me,” said a youth at the shelter, wiping away tears.
While playing a private performance for the youth, including a touching acoustic rendition of “Million Reasons” off her latest album Joanne, they watch and record the moment on their phones and sing along.
“I am no better than any of those kids, and I’m no worse than any of them. We are equal. We both walk our two feet on the same earth, and we’re in this together,” says Gaga. “Do one kind act before the end of the year. Just be kind. The act itself, it’s free, and it’s priceless.”
Watch the heartwarming video below.
