Like many of us, Bethenny Frankel was glued to her television when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017.
She remembers watching in horror as the news showed harrowing images of homes, bridges and roads that had been demolished or destroyed by the Category 4 storm in the U.S. territory. Witnessing so many Puerto Ricans struggling to survive without food, water, electricity and shelter prompted Frankel to take immediate action.
On October 1, 2017, the former “Real Housewives of New York” star chartered four planes and arrived in Puerto Rico with 15,000 pounds of supplies including cash gift cards, insulin, hygiene products, diapers, water, generators and non-perishable food. In addition, the planes transported nurses, emergency medical technicians and combat medics to help. The planes returned to Florida filled with cancer patients, diabetics and those in need of comprehensive medical care.
While many know her as a reality television star, author, natural foods chef and founder of the global lifestyle brand Skinnygirl, Frankel, who turns 51 this month, has established herself as a philanthropic force to be reckoned with. In 2017, she joined forces with the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), a Doral-based nonprofit that provides relief aid to people across the globe who have been affected by hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Frankel initially launched her B Strong initiative in 2017 to provide resources, support and financial assistance to women dealing with crisis situations. Her efforts expanded to include disaster relief when she raised $50,000 for the Houston and Corpus Christi chapters of Dress for Success in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey that hit Texas on August 25, 2017.
“After Hurricane Maria hit, a friend put me in touch with GEM,” Frankel says. “It was a natural match: I wanted to charter a plane and had contacts that could donate funding while GEM — run by philanthropist Michael Capponi — has a warehouse in Miami stocked with non-perishable foods, water, pet supplies, blankets and more that can benefit survivors of a national disaster.”
Since their partnership launched four years ago, B Strong and GEM have raised and distributed millions of dollars in cash and supplies for victims of natural disasters around the world. In 2020, B Strong distributed millions of N95 masks to healthcare workers across the country in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and supply shortage, helped survivors of the Australian wildfires and flew to the Bahamas to aid the Hurricane Dorian relief efforts. This year, B Strong provided food and supplies to residents of Texas impacted by the effects of winter storm Uri, donated cash cards and basic necessity kits to those displaced after the deadly condo collapse in Surfside and provided disaster relief to residents in the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. B Strong was also one of the first organizations to offer assistance after the massive 7.2 earthquake hit Haiti and to distribute oxygen concentrators in India to help patients affected by COVID-19.
Frankel says that B Strong and GEM are also committed to helping small business owners reopen and rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One hundred percent of B Strong donations go directly to cash cards that help individuals in disaster-affected areas,” she says. “We’re a lean operation, so there are no administrative or overhead costs that are withdrawn from the donations we receive.”
Both Frankel and her fiancé, Paul Bernon, personally donate to B Strong, often using their own money up front to fund relief efforts rather than delaying an immediate response while waiting for donations to roll in. She’s also received monetary support from a number of celebrity friends including Ellen DeGeneres, Vanessa Hudgens, Amy Schumer and Mindy Kaling.
Not only is B Strong one of the first relief organizations to arrive after a natural disaster, it continues to support survivors as they rebuild in the weeks and months following a catastrophe.
”We make a commitment that goes beyond immediate relief efforts,” Frankel says. “We don’t leave after the initial news dies down.”
Frankel’s Florida Roots
Mention South Florida and Frankel won’t hesitate to tell you it’s one of her favorite areas to visit. Not only does she frequently visit the GEM warehouse in Doral, she also enjoys going to the beaches in Boca Raton to escape the cold New York winters.
For Frankel, who attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale before graduating with a degree in psychology and communications from New York University, visiting South Florida is in many ways a homecoming.
This past March, she broke the Internet when photos of her surfaced in a bikini on the beach in Boca Raton, leading many fans to wonder how then 50-year-old mother and entrepreneur maintains her svelte physique.
“I don’t diet, I eat what I want, just in moderation,” Frankel says. “I believe in balance.”
As for exercise, Frankel says that when her busy schedule allows, she enjoys yoga or walking on the beach.
“My philosophy on eating and exercise is to do what you can when you can,” she told her 2.3 million followers on Instagram. “I choose time with my daughter and sleep first. If I’m near a beach, I’ll take an hour walk or if I have time, I’ll do yoga. I don’t believe in fear-based, tortuous, aggressive exercise.”
Photo by Katya Fevi
Finding free time is definitely a luxury for Frankel, who has grown her Skinnygirl brand to include swimwear sold on HSN, sunglasses and new items under her Skinnygirl Eats line. Although she sold her Skinnygirl cocktail line in 2011, she continues to challenge herself with new projects. One of her favorite ventures is “Just B” with Bethenny Frankel, a podcast she launched in 2020.
“I use my podcast to offer my perspective on issues while also featuring conversations with guests including Hillary Clinton, Brooke Shields and Wolfgang Puck,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll discuss things that really annoy me.”
Shying away from tough subjects isn’t in Frankel’s DNA. She keeps it real with her social media followers, even posting an unfiltered selfie in a sports bra and boy-short briefs from her new Skinnygirl shapewear collection.
“If I were a filterer, I would have gotten rid of my lines and dark circles, but this is me at 50,” Frankel posted. “Why do I mention this all the time? Because I think it’s important for young women to know that being flawed is truthful and real and filtering yourself into someone fictitious is actually damaging to girls’ and women’s self-esteem. It’s courageous and beautiful to be real at any age.”
Frankel offers that same spirit of encouragement to her own daughter, Bryn, 11. Recently, Bryn expressed an interest in following in her mother’s charitable footsteps and Frankel offered her full support.
“Bryn is a big animal lover and a few weeks ago, I heard her in her room recording a video,” Frankel says. “She was cuddling with our two rescue dogs, Biggy and Smallz, and talking about how she wanted to do something to save other homeless animals. We decided to choose two of her favorite charities, North Shore Animal League and PETA to support and people can donate through the B Strong site.”
After being a successful reality television star, global entrepreneur, bestselling author and a driven philanthropist, it’s hard to fathom what could be next in Frankel’s career.
As Frankel looks to the future, she is proud of the work B Strong has accomplished. In a May interview with Advisors magazine, Frankel said, “The B Strong global relief effort has had a way more significant impact on my life and the world, and has been far more challenging than any of my business ventures.”
To make a donation to B Strong, visit bethenny.com/bstrong.
