July 8 (UPI) -- Janelle Monáe helped give 2,000 meals to families in need during a Los Angeles food drive.
The 34-year-old singer and her WondaLunch food program partnered with Democratic U.S. Reps. Maxine Waters and Nanette Diaz Barragan, actress Yara Shahidi and attorney Angela Rye to provide fresh meals to families impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The event took place Tuesday in Ted Watkins Memorial Park. Monáe and other volunteers distributed meal kits containing fresh fruit, vegetables and poultry to people who drove through in their cars.
Monáe previously gave 5,000 meals during her first WondaLunch in Atlanta, Ga., in April, and hosted another food drive in Inglewood, Calif., in May. She said Monday in an interview with KCRW that the events were "very successful" and exceeded her expectations.
"I think all of us are taking financial hits, some of us more than others," the star said. "My situation is not the same as a single mom trying to raise five kids, who just got laid off or that's an essential worker."
"So yeah, I'm really thankful that people see the love in it and see the openness and understanding that the only way we're going to survive this crisis, this pandemic, is by sticking together and leaning on each other," she added.
Monáe also addressed George Floyd's death and national conversations about racial injustice. She said Black people are fighting COVID-19 but also "fighting to exist."
"I think that one of the things that we all have to think about is how we can use our power, how we can use our privilege, how we can use our existence to help protect marginalized folks and human beings who deserve those same freedoms," the singer said.
Monáe released her third studio album, Dirty Computer, in 2018. She will star in the upcoming horror film Antebellum, which released a new trailer in May. The movie is produced by Get Out and Us producer Sean McKittrick.