Lori Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in 2020, but her television appearances quickly disappeared about a year before that when the scandal first broke.
She and her husband faced fines, jail time, and community service for bribing their daughters’ admission into the University of Southern California, and both served time as part of their plea bargain, with Lori sentenced to two months in jail, paying a $150,000 fine, and completing 100 hours of community service.
The scandal shook Lori’s entire career to its core and impacted her running television shows, including the Hallmark favorite When Calls the Heart. Her character, Abigail Stanton, was written out, and the series continued without her until Abigail was added to the spinoff When Hope Calls.
She had also returned for the role of Aunt Becky in the Full House sequel Fuller House but was dropped from the show’s final season due to the college admissions scandal.
Since the scandal was revealed and she served her sentence, she has made her first live television appearance and opened up about what it was like to go through her scandal, but it wasn’t all bad.
As a guest on KTLA’s Lead with Love 3 telethon on Saturday, Lori revealed that she ended up enjoying her community service work, and though her hours are served, the actress continues to volunteer.
Lori Loughlin still volunteers after ending community service
Lori continues to work with the Project Angel Food charity in Los Angeles and has nothing but good things to say about her time working with them.
She admitted that she had found a lot of support and a sense of community there, but she also explained that what they do is about much more than feeding people who need it.
“It’s about loving people and helping people. I think that is so important,” she explained.
Lori completed her 100 hours of community service last year but has quietly continued to volunteer her time to the charity. A source revealed, “She continued to volunteer on a weekly basis, every week, making deliveries. She doesn’t do this for show.”
She also revealed that her favorite part of the work is the deliveries, as she often sees the same people and enjoys the connection she has made with the people she has met through her volunteer work.
Lori Loughlin opened up about feeling ‘down and broken’ after college admissions scandal
Although Lori seems to have found a potential calling through her volunteer work, she admitted that it wasn’t always easy and felt “down and broken” when she first started.
After serving jail time, paying a hefty fine, and having a scandal blow up and put her out of work, it makes sense that she wasn’t feeling the best. Fortunately, the actress found a support system while supporting others through volunteering.
Talking of Project Angel Food, Lori revealed, “It is a community, it is a family, and all the people that work here are just so wonderful. They have welcomed me with such open arms at a time when I was feeling particularly down and broken.”
She added, “That’s how I found a home here, and that’s what I feel like they did for me. And that’s why I’m so proud to be here and working with this organization. Because they really do care. It’s really a community.”
I hope to see you in GAC movies. I really missed seeing you, so hope to see you soon.