The holiday season can be difficult for many people, including veterans with no place to go. That’s something Arnold Schwarzenegger aimed to address a few days before Christmas when he donated 25 homes in the Los Angeles area to unhoused veterans, as he detailed in a post on Instagram. Schwarzenneger donated $250,000 for the homes, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The former seven-time Mr. Olympia, Terminator star, and Governor of California had help in facilitating the homes’ sales. According to that same social media post, Village for Vets — which provides essential social safety support to at-risk veterans in the greater Los Angeles area — helped arrange the group of houses. AMVETS — a service organization for veterans — also played significant roles.
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This type of proactive charity is not out of the norm for Schwarzenneger, especially amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He donated $1 million to help with medical supplies for frontline responders in early 2020. He is also the founder of After School All-Stars — a program providing mentorship and successful frameworks for young adults — which saw a $3 million donation on behalf of social media giant TikTok, also in early 2020. All of that money tackled food insecurity for families affected by the early onset of COVID-19 across the country.
Schwarzenegger himself has been quite outspoken in the importance of solidarity and mutual action in such a tough time for many. In August 2021, during an interview on CNN, he made a point to describe why measures like mask mandates and social distancing were crucial, specifically in the context of American freedom.
Particularly, Schwarzenegger said: “Screw your freedom because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities.” He explained that those obligations and responsibilities are to “work together…to protect those fellow members [sic] around you.”
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The former bodybuilder’s quote sparked a significant reaction from the Strength Sports community.
As for the homes, Schwarzenegger made certain to thank everyone accordingly for a job well done while simultaneously describing why this act of charity was near and dear to him. In what is likely a common theme and reflection of not only his philanthropy but his overall worldview, it amounted to one word: Community.
“It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes,” wrote Schwarzenneger. “We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem.”
Featured Image: @schwarzenegger on Instagram
