Katy Perry Shares Story Of Evolving From Food Stamps To Inspiring Dreams
Katy Perry, the renowned singer and philanthropist, has a journey that speaks to the American dream. Despite facing financial struggles in her youth, Perry, 39, has risen to become one of the best-selling musicians of all time. But for the Teenage Dream singer, success is not just about the music charts; it’s about leaving a lasting legacy that uplifts others.
Raised by strict Pentecostal parents, her upbringing was marked by financial hardship. Her family often relied on food stamps and food banks to put meals on the table.
“You want to talk about food stamps? I can talk about food stamps. You want to talk about food banks? I can talk about food banks. You want to talk about busking in the street as a teenager, hoping to make $20 to cover yourself, I can talk about that too,” she said to PEOPLE.
These early struggles instilled in Kate a deep sense of empathy and drive to make a difference in the lives of others.
In 2018, Katy and her older sister Angela Lerche founded the Firework Foundation, dedicated to providing access to the arts for children in underserved communities. Through initiatives like Camp Firework, over 400 middle schoolers from disadvantaged areas surrounding Los Angeles have had the opportunity to participate in songwriting sessions, shoe design workshops, and choreography classes.
Katy and Angela are actively involved in the camp, fostering connections with the campers and imparting valuable life lessons.
The foundation also prioritizes mental health, offering tools like Transcendental Meditation to empower campers to navigate life’s challenges. Katy emphasized the importance of supporting these young people beyond the camp experience, ensuring they have ongoing opportunities for growth and development.
Witnessing the tangible impact of their work has been deeply emotional for Angela, who describes collaborating with her sister on the foundation as a “dream come true.”
“A lot of times it’s reminding them that we didn’t come from anything either. [Katy] wasn’t born into some musical family that had all this access. She worked so hard for so many years to get to be where she is,” Angela stated.
For Perry, the ultimate measure of success lies not in her chart-topping hits, but in the lasting impact of the Firework Foundation.
“The kids know me as the girl that sang ‘Roar’ or ‘Dark Horse,’ but I hope [by the end] they [think], ‘I too can live out my dreams like Katy Perry. She’s just like me, in a lot of goofy ways,'” she shared.
She envisions a future where the foundation’s legacy transcends her own fame, providing a beacon of hope for generations to come.
“If in a hundred years nobody knows Katy Perry or the song ‘Firework,’ but they know what the Firework Foundation is, then I’ll have fulfilled my purpose,” she shared.
