Justin Bieber & Charity Work!

Justin Bieber is stepping up to save Bethesda Centre, a shelter for pregnant teens.

According to Torontosun.com, Justin is donating a portion of the sales from his new song, Turn to You, to the $1.5 million campaign to save the shelter which is run by the Salvation Army.

Justin dedicated the song as a Mother Day’s gift to his mother Pattie Mallette, who was a resident at the 18-bed Centre before she gave birth to Bieber in 1994.

Turn to You became available on iTunes this week and Save Bethesda said Justin would donate a portion of the revenues from downloads to the organization.

Sarah Brooks, a spokeswoman for the group, says she and three other women from the Centre were all staying at Bethesda at the same time Mallette was there.

“Pattie was just like any of the other girls. We were all in the same situation. Nobody knew this little baby, Justin, was going to become famous. She was just our friend.”

Brooks said the Centre provides an alternative to other social agencies that are overcrowded.

“It offers hope, it offers opportunity. Without that centre, where wil these girls go?” asked Brooks.

On Thursday, Pattie tweeted:

“please help me save these young girls. They have no where else to go.”

Brooks said she could not estimate how much Justin’s song could potentially contribute to the campaign. If the campaign to save Bethesda is unsuccessful, Bieber indicated the money would be diverted to other programs for pregnant teens.

A Salvation Army representative was not at the news conference but spokeswoman Perron Goodyear later issued a statement.

“The Salvation Army is very grateful to Justin Bieber for his efforts to help save the Bethesda Centre. We are sincerely hopeful that the proceeds from his newly released song will help raise the required $1.5 million by May 31st.”

For more info visit www.bethesdacentre.ca

{ 36 comments }