Tag Archives: charity

Super Stars, Super Givers

The twins were born and photographed. The cash was handed over and we’re now learning where all that dough is going. According to a statement issued by the Global Health Committee earlier this week, roughly $2 million of the $14 million Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made from selling snaps of their newborn twins will go to help fight HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Ethiopia. As you might recall Ethiopia is the country where their 3-year-old daughter Zahara was born. Now children there will have a second chance at life thanks to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation. Execs with the Global Health Committee … Continue reading →

Bringing In Meals

One of the great things about the Relief Society is the way the sisters band together to take care of every little need. When there’s sickness, death or a new baby, one of the most common ways the sisters render service is by bringing in dinner. What a kind, compassionate thing to do for someone who might not be in a position to make a meal for themselves, for whatever reason. If you are asked to bring in a meal, here are some tips for you to keep in mind. 1. The person making the assignment will generally tell you … Continue reading →

Celebrity Moms Lending a Hand to Children of the World

Dogs living around a Staten Island, New York elementary school for autistic children must have gotten an earful yesterday when Jennifer Lopez made a surprise visit to perform for some unsuspecting students. Imagine the ear piercing screams that came from the auditorium where a group of 10- and 11-year-olds and their family members were gathered for a graduation ceremony. The happy day was made even more exciting when the singer and new mom to twins performed her hit “Let’s Get Loud” for the students at their commencement ceremony. A teacher at the school told local newspapers that she showed the … Continue reading →

Cha-Ching! for Charity

More than 350,000 screaming fans braved torrential rain, thunder and lightning tonight to see Paul McCartney perform a charity concert in a place he had never belted out a single note before. The former Beatle belted out his favorite tunes in the middle of Kiev’s central Independence Square. The outdoor show, the first in Ukraine for McCartney, was billed as the biggest concert ever in the former Soviet republic. Government officials allowed the charity event to be broadcast live on national television and on giant TV screens in five cities. The music icon, who turns 66 next week, reportedly got … Continue reading →

How Much Would You Bid for Madonna’s Lip Gloss?

Would you consider $500,000? Goodness knows I wouldn’t. But someone in France did so happily and got the Material Girl’s magnifying mirror, hair clips, skin blotting tissues, and lip gloss thrown in as well. Oh, and did I mention the person also walked away with a one-of-a-kind diamond-encrusted alligator bag donated by Chanel? And it was all for a good cause. The 49-year-old world famous singer parted with her personal possessions at an auction to benefit AIDS research and made it clear that she wasn’t going to settle for peanuts. Prior to her lot going up Madonna warned the crowd … Continue reading →

Celebs—Giving as Good as They Get

At some point in your life you have likely sunk your teeth into a Jimmy Dean sausage, and thanks to loyal fans, the pork product king has been able to amass a fortune. Now Dean says it’s time to give back. The sausage titan just donated $1 million to Texas’ Wayland Baptist University. In doing so Dean makes history for providing the small school of just about 1,000 students with the biggest single gift ever donated by an individual. Ironically, Dean has never stepped foot in an institution of higher learning. In fact, he is a self-professed drop out who … Continue reading →

Is My Service Focused on God, or On Me?

I’ve been going through a time of reflection lately, a time where I’ve been looking at myself and my attitudes and dare I say, my neuroses, and I’ve recently come to the realization that I’m co-dependent. It was nice to come to that conclusion – I’ve known I was something, but I didn’t know what. Now that I have the what, I can work on the how to overcome it. As I’ve been reading books on co-dependency, I hit upon something else that really surprised me. Sometimes we give service in such a way that it is no longer about … Continue reading →

Why Donate to, and Shop at, Deseret Industries?

Every so often, I get the de-junking bug and run around my house with my greedy little paws stuffed with garbage bags. I hit the kids’ rooms hard, and believe me, there’s a lot in there to throw away. However, there’s also a lot in there to pass along, and I love to make donations to our local Deseret Industries. When I give our gently used items to Deseret Industries, I know those things will find a new home where they will be appreciated. They won’t be taking up space in a landfill somewhere, and, perhaps best of all, they … Continue reading →

What is Deseret Industries?

Deseret Industries is the thrift store that is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s a non-profit organization that was started in 1938 as a way for members of the Church to recycle their unwanted goods and for those goods to find homes where they would be most needed. Today, there are almost fifty stores scattered across the western United States. The mission of Deseret Industries is three-fold. First, the stores provide jobs to those who need training in a vocation or who might find it difficult to find job placement elsewhere, due to … Continue reading →

Generous Celebs Keep the Giving Going

There’s nothing like tax time to get you to review just how generous you’ve been in the last 12 months. And it’s not just you—–many Hollywood celebrities are taking time to total up their good (financial) deeds and some have been quite a bit more generous than others. Take for example, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The handsome Tinseltown duo is known for helping those in need with their time and talent, but did you know that according to federal tax filings, the pair routinely digs deep (really deep) into their wallets to aid the less fortunate as well? According … Continue reading →