Supporter Spotlight: ‘Your Voice Will Always Reach Someone’

Cristina Reyes, a Latina LGBTQIA+ changemaker from Ontario, Canada, has only been streaming for a year.

When COVID-19 cases surged in India, she decided to rally together other Twitch streamers and use her channel to make a difference, raising over $10,000 for Project HOPE’s response in India and mental health work.

Reyes is one of hundreds of Twitch users who have used livestreaming to raise awareness and funds for our global COVID-19 response. Over the past year, this support from charity Twitch partners like Reyes, Nadia Dar, and Taylor Baldwin has helped us mobilize medical equipment and PPE to help health workers on the front lines of crisis and address mental health and resiliency for long-term recovery.

Read on to learn more about how Reyes’ Twitch channel went from a “little hobby” to so much more, and why she decided to use her voice to fundraise for Project HOPE.

You’ve organized two very successful campaigns for Project HOPE. What (or who) inspired you to run your first campaign and use your platform for charity?

I grew up with very little and had a really rough upbringing. This followed me my whole life. I struggled a lot with my mental health because of it, but despite all of that I always felt that even if I couldn’t offer much, I always wanted to do more for others. I never wanted anyone to feel or go through the stuff I had experienced, and it kind of kindled this want and need to do more.

I saw my partner (who streams as shazamdajam) join a team for a charity run last summer, and I guess from there it really inspired that drive I had for fundraising. I didn’t have much of an online presence, but from there I worked really hard to build one so that I could make a difference too.

There are so many charities to support. Why did you choose to stream for Project HOPE, specifically?

Project HOPE is a nonprofit that works globally, lending a hand in every aspect they can, and I admire the work they do around the world to help bring supplies, health care, and assistance. Their vision and mission just resonated with me.

In the short time of working with Project HOPE I’ve noticed they don’t delay when something is going on in the world. They’re just so on top of it. One of the biggest examples is the response in India during the COVID-19 crisis. Cases were at an all-time high and there were little to no medical supplies to go around, but despite the lack of news coverage, Project HOPE was all over it, raising awareness and reaching out to streamers in an effort to help raise money.

How did you first hear about Project HOPE?

At the end of April, I noticed some news coverage on Twitter about the COVID-19 situation in India, but there was barely any conversation about it. I gathered about 18 other streamers, making this my biggest charity campaign I’ve ever hosted. Project HOPE was one of the only nonprofits hosting a fundraiser for India directly. I looked into Project HOPE’s values and mission, did my research, and happily jumped on board to raise money for them.

Your streams raised over $10,000 for our response efforts. How did it feel to be able to make such a huge contribution toward our mission?

Incredible. I never imagined being able to make such an impact in streaming. I can’t really describe the feelings I had reaching these big goals, but I’m so grateful that having a voice really influenced others, and that others who joined continued to influence even more people. It’s inspiring.

Can you share the most memorable moments of your charity livestreams?

My first ever charity campaign was in December 2020. I was still very new to streaming and had only been doing it for a month, but I really wanted to give back for the holidays. I was streaming one day and got a $1,000 donation and instantly panicked. (Me being so new, I had no idea what was going on.) Tiltify has this incredible program where they will partner with a streamer for something called “Claus My Cause.” They essentially go to multiple charity streamers and donate $1,000 to each to give back to nonprofits for the holidays and support streamers raising money. I remember crying and just being in complete shock, but I was so incredibly happy and excited.

Another really memorable moment I will never forget is reaching $1,000 within the first 10 minutes of our charity relay for World Mental Health Day with Project HOPE. All of our minds were blown as to how quickly people were ready to respond and make a difference.

What’s next for you? How would you like to see your Twitch platform grow and evolve over the course of the next year?

Honestly, starting out, Twitch was originally meant to be a place where I could just hang out, just a little hobby, but the growth and drive I have to continue doing work with nonprofit organizations has grown so largely. I’d love to continue seeing that growth. I want to work with so many more nonprofits out there and really continue to foster and grow a community with the same values I hold.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

To people who stream and wish to get into charity work — no matter how small you feel your voice is or how little your reach is, just do the thing. Every single person can make some sort of impact, and I think even if folks are worried about not raising enough, the main focus should always be to bring that awareness and have those conversations. I was so scared to take the plunge, but your voice will always reach someone.