• Motto

This Is How Much Katy Perry Donated to Planned Parenthood

2 minute read

Katy Perry is supporting Planned Parenthood with an Instagram essay and a big check.

The “Teenage Dream” singer made a public donation of $10,000 to the reproductive health nonprofit Friday and encouraged others to make a difference if they can. Perry wrote that the donation was in honor of her teenage self, whose “sheltered upbringing” led her to visit her local Planned Parenthood to learn more about her sexual health.

“Planned Parenthood educated me on my body and my reproductive health, so that I could focus on my dreams and using my voice until I knew the timing was right for me to make a plan to have a family,” she wrote on Instagram. “Since then, I have been able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing messages of strength and becoming a voice for others. Without this education, I may have had a different life path.”

Perry also opened up about her family’s difficulty obtaining affordable healthcare, which led them to seek dental care in Mexico when she was growing up, and commended Planned Parenthood for supporting low-income families.

“I am grateful for and stand in support of Planned Parenthood for giving Katheryn Hudson the knowledge to plan, and for continuing to be a haven for women to learn all options for their future,” Perry writes. “Now, more than ever, we all need to protect and create safe places for each other. I hope I can help inspire you to make a gift as well, and become a member and an ally.”

Read Perry’s full message below.

This article originally appeared on EW.com

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com