(COLORADO SPRINGS) — In 2020, Ryan Griffis found his passion for content creation in opening up about his mental health. Over the years, he has gained over 1.5 million followers on TikTok and has accounts on Instagram and YouTube.
“But a lot of individuals are reaching out because of the videos I had posted, which was just telling everybody how I was feeling, how I was trying to get back to where I was before,” Griffis said. “And it led to a lot of videos after that and somebody ended up message me and saying that how I made their day.”
After seeing the tragic earthquake in Turkey, Griffis felt the call to help support those overseas.
“So right now, we have over $2,000 worth of t-shirts that we designed, and we’ve came up with that we were going to initially launch on our website, but now we’re just going to give all the t-shirts back and give them to the Red Cross for them to distribute them out all the way across their platforms,” Griffis said.
Griffis shared he started a program this year called Giving Back where he will personally donate to help others.
“I will personally donate over $10,000 throughout the year of 2023,” Griffis said. “And this is just the start of it, where I will donate over $2,000 of my own apparel and give back to those individuals that are in need for that.”
The American Red Cross provided a statement on behalf of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network on supporting those in Turkey and Syria.
“At the American Red Cross, our hearts go out to those impacted by this deadly earthquake. Thousands of people have tragically lost their lives and there has been significant damage to infrastructure across the region. Inclement weather and treacherous road conditions continue to complicate relief efforts and hospitals are filling quickly.
As the window of time rapidly narrows to save lives, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are urgently working to rescue thousands remaining trapped beneath rubble. Thousands of Red Cross and Red Crescent responders are providing shelter, food, water, blood, emergency aid supplies, medical care and mental health support in the hardest hit areas. Teams are also working diligently to help reconnect loved ones separated as a result of the crisis. Syrian Arab Red Crescent responders are working at warehouses in Damascus on a massive operation to ship goods to those in desperate need in the north of the country.”
American Red Cross
Griffis is using his social media presence to help shine light in times of tragedy while also serving our country.
“You know, it means a lot to me because it costs nothing to be kind. And I think the world needs more of that today,” Griffis said. “We have a lot of individuals that get these platforms, and they forget where they come from, and they see the numbers.”
A passion Griffis has to help others and to continue making content for his viewers to enjoy.
“This is something I’m definitely dedicated to,” Griffis said. “I do it each and every day, multiple times a day, and on the weekends in my free time, this is something that I really invest in.”
