Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have provided scholarships to 20 homeless students in New York City.
The ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’ host and her husband have paid for laptops and scholarships worth $2,000 each for a total of 20 of the most vulnerable students who are headed to college in New York, according to People magazine.
Kelly and Mark’s generous donation is being done in partnership with the Win foundation in New York, which "provides safe housing and critical services to help homeless women and their children rebuild their lives and break the cycle of homelessness".
In a statement, Kelly said: "Mark and I are so excited to help these students in whatever small way we can. Starting college is a pivotal moment for so many and being a part of this time is really special for our family. We know each of these scholarship recipients has a bright future ahead and we can’t wait to see what amazing things they accomplish!"
Several of the students who received laptops and scholarships are currently living in housing provided by the Win foundation, and didn’t have access to a computer – which has been a vital tool to complete remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic – before the donation.
Kelly, 49, added in her statement: "We were watching our kids, with all of their technology, and Mark and I said, ‘Learning remotely is so difficult … how are they possibly doing this at Win?’ Sure enough, they didn’t have the Wi-Fi, tablets or other things they needed."
For those receiving the scholarships, the good deed has been life-changing.
One recipient, named Michael Jones, said: "Despite the fires that are currently ripping through the West Coast, I am still determined to attend Portland State University and major in Creative Writing there.
"The scholarship from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos is a major help to my college career and will help me purchase books, dorm essentials and other necessities, which will put me in a strong position toward success in my freshman year."
Whilst Mikayala Garay added: "As a student at SUNY Morrisville studying equine science to one day become a vet, I take classes off-campus at nearby stables. I’ll use this money to buy books and to save up for a car to get to and from my classes off-campus."