Grammy-winning rapper Missy Elliott donated $50,000 to a local Virginia housing authority to help families in need on the first anniversary of “Missy Elliott Day.”
The Portsmouth, Virginia native’s generous donation will help families on the verge of being evicted, according to The Virginian-Pilot. The funds given to the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority on October 17 will pay the past-due rents of 26 families.
According to The Virginian-Pilot, Elliott presented the check to the housing authority at the Dr. O. Marriner Family Life Center at Grove Church, reportedly the city’s oldest African-American Baptist Church. The housing authority’s executive director, Alisa Winston, accepted the check.
The beloved rapper, who headlined this year’s ESSENCE Festival Of Culture, told the crowd she thought about how best to commemorate “Missy Elliott Day” before deciding on the generous move.
“Instead of it being a celebration of Missy Elliott, you know about me, I wanted to give back and let that be the celebration of Missy Elliott, just to show that I love everybody out here,” she said, according to The Virginian-Pilot.
Elliott also spoke about how she learned to have a “giving heart” and appreciation for her hometown from her mother.
“Just know that P-town is with me no matter where I go,” Elliot said.
“I love my city. I love my state. I love everything about it,” she said. “Everything about Missy comes from here — the hospitality, the humility, the confidence — if you mess with me, it’s a problem. We sweet, but don’t try us.”
