Heartbroken George Michael secretly donated nearly £20,000 to a small Aids charity every year until his death after losing his first love to the illness.

The tragic superstar also handed over a Mercedes to the volunteers of Project Angel Food, and spent time working in their kitchen helping to feed hard-up HIV sufferers too sick to shop and cook for themselves.

The big-hearted star’s huge role in keeping the charity afloat has been revealed by its executive director Richard Ayoub, who said: “We can’t thank him enough.

"He was so supportive and is the single largest donor in our history. He sent a $25k donation to us religiously every year to the tune of more than half a million dollars.

“His passion and love and support was felt here every single year.”

(Image: Project Angel Food)

George, who died on Christmas Day 2016, made his first donation to the Los Angeles charity in 1993 – the year he lost his 36-year-old lover Anselmo Feleppa.

In his Channel 4 documentary Freedom, screened in October, he admitted he had never got over the Brazilian designer’s death.

“He still, 23 years later, brings a tear to my eye. He was my saviour,” he said.

The Wham! star met Anselmo in 1991 while performing at Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival.

George recalled: “Anselmo was the first time I think I really loved someone selflessly. ”

But months later, Anselmo fell ill with Aids. George said: “I remember looking at the sky and saying, ‘Don’t you dare do this to me!”

(Image: AFP)

After his lover’s death, George dedicated himself to philanthropy and raising awareness about the disease.

And Project Angel Food, founded in 1989 by volunteers worried by the malnutrition struggling HIV sufferers faced, came to his attention.

Richard, an Emmy Award-winning producer, said: “He did a lot of things for us very quietly.

"He did it without fanfare and without credit. George really did not want to bring the spotlight to him.”

He told how in later years the singer would spend hours with his art dealer boyfriend Kenny Goss at the charity’s base – with George one day helping out in the kitchen like other stars who back the charity – such as Kelly Osbourne and Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie.

(Image: Project Angel Food)

“He wanted to work as a volunteer and our kitchen manager met him, and George made rice cakes,” he said.

“It went well. He had a really great time. He and Kenny both volunteered. But when he came the paparazzi were chasing him and there were helicopters. The staff couldn’t come through the door because the paparazzi were yelling.

“George also had this Mercedes that he wanted to sell – so he gave it to Project Angel Food to auction off.”

The star always refused to let the charity honour him, but they commemorated him last year with an award for leadership at their annual Angel Gala in Hollywood. The event featured a tribute from American singer Adam Lambert who performed covers of George’s hits Faith and One More Try. George’s ex Kenny was at the awards.

George’s family asked that one of the charity’s clients receive the award in his honour which was later sent to his sisters in London.

Richard said: “We tried to honour him multiple times when he was alive and he was never interested, so when he passed away we thought, ‘OK, we’ve got to do it now’.”

Talking about the shock of George’s death, he adds: “It was horrible. We were all very sad and heartbroken because even though he hadn’t been here for a while, his passion and love and support was felt every single year.”

Other backers of the charity include Whoopi Goldberg and Sharon Stone. Elizabeth Taylor also supported it.

(Image: Getty Images)

Project Angel Food now cooks and delivers 10,000 meals a week to poor people not only living with HIV/AIDS, but also those with cancer, kidney failure, heart disease and lung disease.

Richard said poverty has worsened since Donald Trump became President. Los Angeles County has the second-largest population of homeless people of any region in the United States, according to a government report released in December.

Its total of 55,188 was surpassed only by New York City’s 76,501.

Richard said: “Just in the last few months we have had an overflow of people coming to us. We have a waiting list for the first time in our history of 104 people.

“Today we are feeding 100 more people than we did six months ago. There seems to be a direct correlation from shortly after the election. That’s when more people came to us. More people also stayed on the programme longer… they were just fearful of healthcare. It is something that scares our population.

(Image: Project Angel Food)

“When you are vulnerable and living on $800 a month, and you are not always knowing where your next meal is coming from, any change can really scare you.

“Our clients feel that, whatever happens, they know Project Angel Food will be there for them. We make sure we do whatever it takes to feed everyone. When we bring food to their homes, it is the meal that makes them feel better.”

He admitted the glamorous Hollywood hills have become a hotbed for poverty and homelessness.

“But you don’t even have to go that far,” he said. “We are located just a few blocks from central Hollywood, and I will tell you that three or four blocks away there are tent cities that have cropped up.

“There are a lot of people out there hurting and a lot of people troubled. We are doing our very best to help out.”

Since George died the charity has been inundated by his fans who have loyally pledged their support.

(Image: Facebook/Project Angel Food)

And there is hope that the star will have left money for the charity in his will.

Richard explained: “His fans have come through in a big way and filled the gap.”

When the Aids crisis became better understood, the charity, founded by best-selling author and activist Marianne Williamson, expanded to include other illnesses.

Its new mission is to “nourish the body and spirit of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses”.

George battled devastating illnesses ever since he contracted pneumonia in 2011.

He told how good healthcare and support saved his life on numerous occasions.

Now, in death, his kindness to those most in need is finally revealed.