Charo Makes Rare Public Appearance at Project Angel Food Event: 'Life Is Beautiful' (Exclusive)

“Every time they give a thousand bucks, I will go and remove the skirt,” Charo jokes to PEOPLE as she supports the organization

Charo is giving an update on her life outside of the spotlight.

The former Love Boat actress, 73, caught up with PEOPLE at Project Angel Food’s Lead with Love 5 Year Anniversary Special on Saturday, June 22. Charo says lately she's been enjoying the simple pleasures of life, but also reminding herself that not everyone is as lucky.

“Life is beautiful and if we know how to live it, then it's even more beautiful,” she says. “But when you are having a good dinner in your house and it’s not raining and you feel warm and you think about it, other people, that they're not that lucky, they are sick, they're alone, they're abandoned by their parents because they don't want them the way they are, then I cannot swallow.”

She went on to say that she is passionate about helping others, which is why she attended Project Angel Food’s event. Bringing people together and “having fun” while also supporting a cause is one of her favorite things to do, she says.

“It's very hard after the show is over, and I remove the makeup,” she explains, adding that at the end of the night, she ends up thinking, “‘What the hell am I going to do right now?’”

“But this moment for me is heaven. Heaven,” she says of the event, which supports the organization's efforts to prepare and deliver healthy meals to feed people impacted by serious illness.

She also jokes that she would make a deal for the sake of fundraising: “Every time they give a thousand bucks, I will go and remove the skirt,” she teases. “I love this foundation.”

Charo has been mostly out of the spotlight for several years. In February 2019, her husband, Kjell Rasten, died by suicide, leaving her determined to focus on the importance of mental health.

“You must live! And you must watch out for the people you love!” she told the New York Times a few months after the death. “I have a plan. I want to change the world. I know what I want, what I want is what people want.”

Related: Charo Talks Overcoming Grief in First Interview Since Her Husband's Death: 'You Must Live!'

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The comedian has placed her focus into the wellbeing of others, but not without taking time to heal herself. She revealed in 2019 that she felt “empty” after Rasten’s passing, isolating herself in her room for 30 days.

She said her time “as a woman has ended,” acknowledging that she would not be finding another romantic love in her life.

“I love life. I will continue entertaining, and I will continue praying,” she said.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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