Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Made a Major Donation to a Texas Women's Shelter

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry donated to a Dallas, Texas women's shelter that suffered severe damage in last week's harsh winter weather.

  • Meghan Markle and Prince Harry donated to a Dallas, Texas women's shelter that suffered severe damage in last week's harsh winter weather.
  • Through their nonprofit Archewell Foundation, the Sussexes pledged to replace the roof at Genesis Women's Shelter & Support's transitional housing facility.
  • "THANK YOU, ARCHEWELL FOUNDATION!" the shelter said on Twitter.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry demonstrated their commitment to charitable giving Sunday, making a huge donation to a Texas women's shelter severely damaged by the harsh winter weather that struck the state last week. Genesis Women's Shelter & Support in Dallas revealed on Twitter that the Sussexes, through their nonprofit Archewell Foundation, would replace the roof at the shelter's transitional housing facility, while providing further support to meet other needs.

RELATED STORY

genesis women's shelter in dallas, tx, suffered damage in winter storm

(Image credit: Courtesy of Genesis)

"Today, we learned that the news of the damages we incurred through Winter Storm Uri reached Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex!" the shelter said on Twitter. "Through their nonprofit, Archewell Foundation, they are supporting us by replacing the roof at our transitional housing facility and also helping us meet our immediate needs. THANK YOU, ARCHEWELL FOUNDATION!"

Speaking to Texas' KERA News, Genesis CEO Jan Langbein detailed the severe damage the shelter faced, which Meghan and Harry will help to address. "We had no heat, we had no security and we had no way of staying warm," Langbein said. "And on Monday night our pipes in the attic froze. So water flooded our entire campus. Our school is ruined. Our electrical room is ruined. And probably seven or eight of our transitional housing apartments are ruined too. We’ve got insulation hanging out from the attic. But by Wednesday morning, we had to start relocating folks into hotels and other safe places."

In a statement last Friday, Buckingham Palace said the Sussexes had confirmed they would not return as senior members of the royal family, resulting in the loss of their patronages and honorary titles. "Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," the statement said.

In the Sussexes' own statement, however, Meghan and Harry stressed their lifelong dedication to public service, regardless of the palace's decision to withdraw their patronages. "As evidenced by their work over the past year, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role," a spokesperson for the couple said.

"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," the statement continued. And the Sussexes demonstrated just that with their support of Genesis Women's Shelter!

RELATED STORIES
Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.