We could produce a sterile list of the various charities and organizations that Jenna has supported, but sometimes to get a clear view of the person, it’s easier to let the person speak for herself. This is from Jenna’s book “It’s All Love”:
In June 2018, I attended the Radio Disney Music Awards and wore one of the most controversial outfits of my life. I was hosting part of the awards, and I knew it was an opportunity to use media attention to spotlight an injustice I was upset about. At the time, news about our country’s immigration detention centers was breaking, and First Lady Melania Trump visited the camps wearing a jacket that said “I really don’t care, do you?” I found it inappropriate and heartless. I was planning to wear a similar military-style green jacket to the show, so I worked with my stylist to come up with a fashion response. My jacket featured this on the back: “I do care and u should too.”
I needed to share this message on a big stage. I care deeply about others, and I care deeply about the detainees held in centers along the Mexican border. I received some negative comments from viewers, but there was a lot of positive feedback, too. Most people avoid talking about these issues in fear of offending anyone or losing support. I encourage my fans to speak up for what they believe in. We’re not able to effect change without using our voices.
Jenna is a proud ambassador for UNAIDS. In honor of her late grandfather, who passed away from AIDS, she has worked closely with UNAIDS to help raise awareness. She was quoted in 2017 saying “I want to help eliminate the stigma of AIDS and get people talking about it. Make it normal, bring it up. It’s a disease that affects all of us.”
In 2016, Jenna organized a meet-and-greet (right) to raise money for 5-year-old Riley Rose Sherman, who was battling neuroblastoma. The event raised $4100.00. Jenna’s friend Desirae “Desi” Cechin – who much like Riley Rose garnered much support from the community – died at age 6 after a two-year battle with the same type of cancer.
In 2018, Jenna went on a trip to Kenya with the WE organization. She traveled there because many communities in Kenya don’t have access to clean water, and many children don’t have access to education. WE works to raise money and build infrastructure for clean water wells and schools. She describes it here:
It was a life-changing experience that put things into perspective for me. We worked on bringing awareness to the importance of accessible water supplies and education, we built schools ourselves, working with the community to mix and pour the concrete. It’s easy to forget how fortunate I am, taking basic needs like clean water for granted. Until I made the trek alongside some Kenyan women, I had never thought about the daily challenge of having to walk miles for water that wasn’t even clean.
Jenna appeared at several WE Day events. Below: Clips from WE Day in California, Illinois and Seattle
Below: Jenna visited Safehouse of the Desert in the Coachella Valley, a homeless shelter benefiting the youth in her community. She was there to help promote the Teens for Jeans campaign, part of DoSomething.org.
In addition to acting, Jenna has used her platform and soccer skills to give back to the community. In 2019, she participated in the “Soccer Aid for Unicef” charity event, where she joined a team of celebrities and former professional players to raise funds for children in need around the world.
Jenna designed her own custom T-shirt with the slogan “Be true to yourself” to benefit PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
Jenna is also an advocate for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, City Year, the GOOD+ Foundation, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Jenna always has her sights set on current events. In a November 8, 2023 interview with Elle magazine, she said this:
Recently, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I feel my priority is the protection of women’s health care and rights in the United States. I’m also doing my best to educate myself and help amplify the voices of Iranian women and protesters who are in the midst of a revolution, fighting for their freedom after the indefensible murder of Mahsa Amini.
On the top of her Instagram page, Jenna carries a link to Save the Children.org, with a specific focus on the children in the West Bank and Gaza region.
As of May, 2024, Jenna continued to post support for the Palestinian people on her Instagram account.
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