The Heartwarming Way Heidi Klum's Son Gave Back to People in Need
One of her sons, Johan, did something heartwarming with his hard-earned cash.
May 19, 2014 -- The Red Cross honored Heidi Klum on Saturday with its Crystal Cross Award for celebrities.
However, the "America's Got Talent" judge told ABC News that she's not the only charitable one in her family.
"Whenever I come from a mission –- whether it was Haiti or visiting the children in the hospital -– [my kids and I] sit at the dinner table and we talk about what I just saw. They ask questions and it is a family discussion. I want giving back to be a part of who they are," Klum said. "At school, my kids also participate in a sack lunch program where they bring in food and make meals for homeless people. We also make it a family activity for them to donate toys to children in need so they feel a sense of social responsibility too."
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"My son Johan recently had a school fundraiser and took $50 out of his own piggy bank to bring in," she continued. "They earn $1 a day in their piggy bank when they drink their [vegetable/fruit] smoothies in the morning -– so that meant 50 days of smoothies for him -– and he hates smoothies!"
Klum, 40, has four children, Leni, 10, Henry, 8, Johan, 7, and Lou, 4. Their father is the "Project Runway" judge's ex-husband Seal. Though she joked they hoped she was going to D.C. to meet with President Obama, Klum turned serious when asked about her role with the Red Cross. One of her most memorable experiences with the organization, she said, was working in New York City after Hurricane Sandy devastated the area.
"So many people had lost so much. We went out in a huge truck -- my first time driving a semi -- it was something. We delivered supplies, both basics and holiday toys--to communities that had been hit hard," she said. "I'll never forget both the shell-shock and the strength of the people we visited. One gentleman I met literally lost his entire house and was having to relocate his family of 6."
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Though she also balances her New York City-based TV jobs with the Red Cross and other philanthropies (UNICEF, God's Love We Deliver, Stand Up to Cancer and the L.A. Children's Hospital are four she's worked with recently), Klum is making summer plans for her and her family.
"We love the summertime! I schedule a lot of off days so we can go to theater – we basically see everything on Broadway," she said. "We go to Splish Splash, the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, take the Double Decker Bus Tour – we are the ultimate New York tourists!"
