The teacher and social media entrepreneur Rachel Griffin Accurso, often known as Ms. Rachel, has been the target of online harassment since announcing her fundraising for kids in Gaza and other crisis areas.
Accurso, who has 9.73 million YouTube subscribers and 2 million Instagram followers, revealed her fundraiser on Sunday. She stressed that “every penny” of the contributions would benefit the humanitarian organization Save the Children, which works with children.
Wiping away tears, Accurso posted a tearful Instagram Reel on Thursday detailing the unfavorable responses to her fundraising efforts. She disclosed that she had been subjected to remarks that implied she had no concern for “all kids.”
She said, “That is who I am,” in the video. “I love all children, including my neighbor. Taking a moment to consider the struggles a mother faces when she is unable to provide for her child’s needs, such as food and clean water, or safety.”
In her post, she restated this message by stating that she has “deeply for all children.”
“Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US — Muslim, Jewish, Christian children — all children, in every country,” she wrote in her letter. “Not one is excluded.”
As of Friday, the video has received close to 200,000 likes.
Requests for response from Accurso and Save the Children representatives were not immediately answered.
Amid the situation in Gaza, where Israel’s military assault has closed down numerous crossings critical for the supply of food, gasoline, and other relief to Palestinians, Accurso is one of a few entrepreneurs who have started similar fundraising projects.
Her actions are taking place in the midst of a debate concerning the ability of influencers to help humanitarian disasters. Some pro-Palestinian audiences have blocked influencers and celebrities who have remained silent on the subject, while a variety of creators across platforms have increased fundraising efforts for families trying to flee Gaza.
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