Gisele Bündchen Makes Emotional Plea for Aid After Home State in Brazil Suffers Devastating Flooding

Gisele Bündchen is aiming to make a difference in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, after days of devastating flooding.

The supermodel, 43, made an emotional plea to her fans on Wednesday, May 8, asking her followers to consider donating to the Luz Alliance Fund, an initiative she created in partnership with the Brazil Foundation to provide humanitarian pandemic relief to families in Brazil.

In an Instagram Reel containing photos and video of the damage in southern Brazil, Bündchen referred to the flooding as "the worst tragedy in its history."

"Heavy rains flooded entire towns in most parts of the state. It's not one or two cities; it's more than 350 cities affected. People are not only losing their houses [and] their jobs. They're losing everything. And there are many still to be rescued. Nobody was ready for such devastation," she explained.

"Towns are isolated. Roads and bridges were destroyed. People have no electricity. No clean water to drink. Many have been separated from their loved ones," Bündchen continued. "And the saddest is that many lives were lost. it's painful. It's heartbreaking."

Bündchen ended her video by asking her followers to join her in making donations and helping "in any way that you can."

"Let’s all join together to help the thousands of people who need us. No amount is too small. Together we can make a difference," she added in a written message at the end of the clip.

Bündchen shared in a post on Saturday, May 4, that people near the area can also help by donating "mattresses and pillows, all types of bedding, toiletries, cleaning products, all types of clothing for all ages, furniture, appliances, pet food, and general daily living items."

In an update on Wednesday, the Rio Grande do Sul state civil defense force announced that there have been 100 confirmed deaths since the flooding began.

Per the agency, 66,761 individuals are in shelters, 163,720 are homeless, 372 are injured, and 128 remain missing.

Earlier this week, a source told PEOPLE that part of the reason that Bündchen would be skipping this year's Met Gala was because of the devastation in Brazil.

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"She's busy with her family down in Miami. She has a totally full life, and she's very busy with her kids. Plus, she's been working more than she has in 20 years this past year. She has so many projects; she's been working all the time," the source said.