Category: Charity

Jennifer Visits Montefiore, Announces Donation

Jennifer Lopez surprised Bronx residents on Sunday when she stopped by the Healthy Childhood initiative launch, sponsored by the Montefiore Health System in partnership with the Lopez Family Foundation, at the Montefiore Medical Center.

During the surprise visit, the Lopez Family Foundation announced a $250,000 donation to Montefiore. The fair, a concept brought to Montefiore by Jennifer and Lynda, was held on Montefiore’s Moses Campus.

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Jennifer, Lynda and many of their friends and family attended the Community Health Fair to participate in activities, including a Zumba class featuring participants in B’N Fit, a program affiliated with the Center for a Healthy Childhood that helps teenagers maintain or lose weight. They also assisted in a healthy cooking demonstration, making smoothies for those at the fair.

“We can do so much to make the Bronx, our hometown, a healthier place. We can exercise together and we can eat well together. The Center for a Healthy Childhood will help make our vision a reality on every block,” said Jennifer Lopez. “It feels good to come home and talk to moms and kids about making healthy lifestyle decisions – they can make changes now that will set them on a path for a long, happy life.”

The Center builds upon Montefiore’s comprehensive community health programs and the long-standing commitment of Jennifer and Lynda to improving the health and well-being of women and children.

“We love having the opportunity to offer resources that mothers, children and families in the Bronx need for better access to healthcare, health information and health education,” said Lynda Lopez. “The Lopez Family Foundation is passionate about the health and well-being of mothers and children, and we’re excited the Center for a Healthy Childhood will go deep into the community to provide needed support – whether it’s to educate about childhood nutrition, physical activity, emotional and intellectual engagement on health, or healthy pregnancies and motherhood.”

The Center will serve Montefiore patients and their families, as well as the tens of thousands of children and families in the Bronx and beyond reached through partnerships with the New York City Department of Education, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and other health and social service providers.

Here’s an interview with Good Morning America:

Good Morning America will have a behind the scenes look at her Bronx concert this Wednesday and they will air an interview with her on Thursday! Plus, don’t forget that she will perform on GMA on June 20!

True Love book cover revealed

Jennifer is ready to tell the tale in her first book True Love, to be published Oct. 28 in both English and Spanish.

The memoir will focus on a two-year period in which, as her publisher explained, she faces “one of her life’s most defining periods.” During this time, she “confronted her greatest challenges, identified her biggest fears, and ultimately emerged a stronger person than she’s ever been.” The book will feature a collection of photographs of the star and aim to be more like a “diary,” according to Penguin’s Celebra imprint, who has taken the world rights of the book to publish it.

“What’s funny is, I didn’t start off the project wanting to bare my soul in print,” Lopez, 44, told PEOPLE backstage at the Las Vegas MGM Grand.

“It started off as a diary of the year I went on tour … and when I was on the road, it became something else,” she said. “I really surprised myself, and I realized, ‘Oh my god, I’m writing this book.’ ”

A portion of the book’s proceeds will benefit The Lopez Family Foundation, which aims to improve the health and well-being of women and children.

“Even to this day, I think, ‘Do I put this book out there?’ ” she said. “I did a lot of soul searching and praying, because I don’t ever want it to be mistaken for anything other than it was, which is sharing something I learned with people I could help.”

“I changed a lot as a person,” Lopez said in reference to the past few years, which included her 2012 split from Marc Anthony after nearly eight years of marriage.

“It was a very transformative moment in my life. I had gone through a lot of changes and then confronting fears of having never toured and being a mom on my own. It was a real shellshock time for me.”

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JLo Visits Montefiore, Announces Partnership with Lopez Family Foundation

Jennifer Lopez visited The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in NYC yesterday with her family! Montefiore and Jennifer’s Lopez Family Foundation announced that they have joined forces to establish the Center for a Healthy Childhood.

Designed to promote healthy living through community health programming and messages and a healthy environment, the new initiative builds upon Montefiore’s activities throughout its health system and the community-at-large and Jennifer Lopez’s long-standing commitment to improving the health and well-being of women and children.

“My roots are in the Bronx. It was natural to join forces with Montefiore, an organization that has cared for and served the Bronx for more than 100 years,” said Jennifer Lopez. “Our foundation has done amazing work improving the health and well-being of children around the world and now we’re looking forward to expanding the efforts underway in the borough where I grew up.”

The need in the Bronx is real. Of 62 counties in New York State, the Bronx is ranked last in overall health outcomes. The Bronx also continues to be the epicenter of high rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma and teen pregnancy.

“We are so pleased to work with Jennifer and her Foundation to impact real change for people living in the Bronx and the surrounding region,” said Steven M. Safyer, M.D., president and CEO, Montefiore. “Our partnership is unique and our goals are large, but we are committed to expanding our efforts and continuing to reach patients and their families, children and young adults in school and community members in an impactful way.”

The Lopez Family Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women and children. The organization advocates and invests in policies and programs that make a positive, measurable impact on communities. It strives to support organizations that make a difference in the lives of families around the world.

“We consider it a great honor to bring our efforts to the community in which we grew up and continue to love,” said Lynda Lopez. “Through this partnership, we know we can make a big difference to improve the health and well-being of families in the Bronx – and that brings us great joy.”

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Jennifer Lopez Receives GLAAD’S Vanguard Award

Jennifer Lopez received GLAAD’s Vanguard Award in Los Angeles last night! She was presented with the award by Rita Moreno, who, of course, starred in Jennifer’s favorite movie, West Side Story. The Vanguard Award lauds efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community

The Fosters, which Jennifer exec produces, also picked up an award for Outstanding Drama Series! Co-creators Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg were on hand with stars Sherri Saum and Teri Polo to pick up their award.

Watch Rita Moreno’s intro and Jennifer’s speech below:

Here are photos thanks to Adriana and LopezLove:

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JLo Honored By March of Dimes!

Jennifer Lopez was honored at the March of Dimes Celebration of Babies Luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel earlier today! Jennifer received the Grace Kelly award, which honors model celebrity parents who support the March of Dimes commitment to help give all women healthy pregnancies and full-term babies.

The event, which raised $1 million dollars for the charity, featured celeb guests including Reese Witherspoon, Josh Duhamel, Molly Sims and Tia Mowry. Jennifer switched things up in a flowery Bibhu Mohapatra dress:

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Jennifer reportedly became emotional as she accepted her award. Hopefully a video will pop up!