‘Stranger Things’: Actress who plays Eleven gives to Food Depot
Millie Bobby Brown’s donation will pay for 24,000 pounds of food
Jill Dixon says a surprise celebrity donation Monday to The Food Depot will pay for 24,000 pounds of food, or two weeks worth of meals for Northern New Mexicans in need.
“It’s amazing,” said Dixon, the development director for the Santa Fe-based nonprofit, of the donation made by actress Millie Bobby Brown, known for her role as a superpowered teen in the Netflix series Stranger Things. “It’s not what the donation means to us, but what it means to the person in the car being handed 20 pounds of food,” Dixon added.
Brown, cast into the international limelight several years ago, was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2018.
That same year, she was appointed as a goodwill ambassador to UNICEF in an effort to draw attention to challenges facing youth, such as poverty and a lack of education.
Netflix had planned to film Season 4of Stranger Things in New Mexico before the coronavirus threat shut down all film and movie productions.
Brown announced on her Instagram account Monday, “My thoughts are with the great people and crew from Santa Fe, New Mexico, whom we didn’t yet get to meet in our company move on Stranger Things.
“In appreciation of this community, my family and I have donated 20,000 meals to The Food Depot.”
Brown and her family also donated 20,000 meals to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Stranger Things filmed previous episodes in Georgia.
Last week, Dixon and other leaders
of regional food banks and pantries said they were experiencing a surge in the number of people lining up to get free meals in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Brown’s donation was a surprise, Dixon said. “What really blows us away is that though the financial contribution is enormously helpful, it shows such incredible leadership and commitment to communities to have a young person take the lead and say, ‘I have something to give, and I’m going to give it and make change in the communities that I touch.’ “
As demand rises for aid from organizations like the The Food Depot, she said, “Every contribution, every gift helps.”
The regional food bank is now accepting only financial donations because of public health concerns, Dixon said. Anyone who wants to contribute can visit the nonprofit’s website, thefooddepot.org. and click on the “donate” link.