charity

Jewel knows what it’s like to be in a vulnerable position — when she was 18, she was homeless for a year because she refused to sleep with her boss and found herself without money, a job, or a place to live. Having lived in that condition, Jewel has strong feelings about ending the cycle of domestic violence, which is why she helped the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation (MKACF) kick off it’s second annual A Kiss For Country campaign to benefit a Nashville domestic violence shelter.

A Kiss For Country brings in country music stars to kiss a piece of paper and sign it so it can be auctioned off to raise money, which goes toward stopping the domestic violence cycle. Jewel became familiar with the campaign last year at the Country Music Awards. She was impressed with the way it was run and the importance of the cause, and the MKACF is thrilled to have the singer on board as its spokesperson this year.

The MKACF has been very successful in raising funds for domestic violence shelters — it has contributed over $11.5 million already. If you’re interested in helping, click here to see which stars are doling out kisses for a cause.

Photo courtesy of jeweljk.com

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, isn’t done raising money for charity. Late last year she auctioned off a book she had written and illustrated, and it was purchased by Amazon.com for nearly $4 million. Still, she wanted to do more, and this December, she will.

The book that was auctioned off was The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a book to which J.K. refers in the final book of the Harry Potter series. There were originally seven, and aside from the one that was auctioned, she gave six as gifts. With the blessing of those who received that book as a gift, as well as Amazon.com and the support of Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and Amazon, that book will be made available to the public December 4.

J.K. doesn’t plan to make any money off the release of this book — she has signed over her royalties to the charity she and Emma Nicholson co-founded called the Children’s High Level Group. The charity works “at a political and practical level to ensure that UN minimum standards for the care of children are implemented across the whole of Europe and beyond.”

The Tales of Beedle the Bard will have more than just a few storied J.K. jotted down. The author said, “The new edition will include the Tales themselves, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, and with illustrations by me, but also notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archive.”

Photo courtesy of theage.com.au

Alicia Keys threw a charity ball in London and many of her famous friends joined her to raise money for Keep a Child Alive, Alicia’s charity which helps children and families living with HIV/AIDS in Africa by providing them anti-retroviral treatment.

One of those guests was Jennifer Hudson, who said, “I feel like your celebrity is not about the fortune or the fame. Butif you can’t help anyone then it’s in vain, it’s pointless.”

Other celebs who ponied up $2000 to attend were Kelly Rowland, Mischa Barton, and Annie Lennox. Annie got involved in the evening’s festivities by performing a duet of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and REM’s Everybody Hurts with Alicia.

Alicia said that it’s important we remember that AIDS is a global problem. Though the gala raised nearly $700,000, she knows that it’s not enough — stopping AIDS comes down to each person. She said, “It scares me … It really does… We have a lot to really be careful about and it’s such a major thing that we have to be cautious. But we can totally avoid it by practicing safe sex and, if you can, just abstinence. And definitely being aware of what’s going on so that you know that you want to protect yourself every time, all the time.”

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Each year, Elton John and David Furnish hold a fabulous White Tie and Tiara Party to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and this year was no exception. The party brought out a plethora of famous faces, including Bill Clinton, Liz Hurley, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Simon Cowell. About 630 guests coughed up the $4700 ticket price in all.

Guests were treated to dinner and a concert, and an auction was held with prizes like a trip to Africa with Elton John. The auction alone raised $20 million!

The Elton John AIDS Foundation’s strives to fund education programs regarding HIV/AIDS prevention as well as eliminating discrimination against those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Additionally, it funds programs and services for people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. The Foundation recently received its third consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, and considering on 16% of evaluated charities earn more than two consecutive 4-star ratings, this is quite a feather in Elton’s already fabulous cap.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend (you know, because you forgot your tiara), you still have the opportunity to help out this worthy charity by going to the website and making a donation.

Photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

It’s always fun to see professional athletes compete in a sport other than their own. Come to think of it, it’s also a lot of fun to watch them play their own sports, too. And that’s probably why Steve Nash’s recent soccer game in New York was such a hit.

The Phoenix Suns basketball superstar put together a soccer game, nicknamed The Showdown in Chinatown, between fellow NBA players and professional soccer players. The game was free to attend, but donations were accepted to benefit the Steve Nash Foundation. The Steve Nash Foundation “aims to grow health in kids by funding projects that provide direct services to children affected by poverty, illness, abuse, or neglect, and create an opportunity for education, health, and empowerment.”

Among the basketball stars taking part were Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Raja Bell, and Leandro Barbosa, and they were up against soccer greats such as Barcelona forward Thierry Henry, Red Bulls midfielder Claudio Reyna, and Robbie Fowler, formerly of Liverpool.

While the basketball players worked hard and had a great game plan (”outscore the other team”), the soccer players were in their element and won 9-4 while performing entertaining tricks and theatrics. The players and the crowd had a good time for a great cause, and you can’t ask for much more than that!

Photo courtesy of schemamag.com

Funny man Steve Carell met a young man named Zachary Carson on the set of The Office last year through the Make A Wish foundation. The 19-year-old later died from diffuse pontine glioma, a type of pediatric cancer, but Steve is working hard to make sure that hope for other children stays alive.

Steve held a premiere of his new film, Get Smart, to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to benefit the Zachary Carson Brain Tumor Fund. Tickets were $100 per person and included a chance to see the movie as well as the opportunity to spend more money at an auction. One of the items up for auction was the chance to have Steve Carell record a voicemail message. I’d probably rather bid on jewelry, but hey — to each his own.

This isn’t the first time Steve has gotten involved in raising money for the Zachary Carson Brain Tumor Fund. Last year he held a similar premiere for Evan Almighty. This seems like a brilliant way to raise some money for a great cause and bring attention to his films — I hope more celebrities catch on!

Photo courtesy of stevecarell.net

Many celebs were on hand at the Los Angeles launch of the Cartier Love Charity Bracelet, including Janet Jackson, Fergie, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, and Hilary Duff. These stars weren’t just there to attend the bash — they had pledged support.

This is the third year of the Cartier Love Charity Bracelet, and this year’s version has a silk cord in different colors depending on which charity it’s connected with, and they feature a white gold and a rose gold link. Involved celebrities each chose a charity, and the sale of a bracelet in the color associated with the charity will net that charity $200 of the $995 price tag.

Some of the celebrities and their charities are Janet Jackson, whose grey bracelet corresponds to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance; Fergie, whose orange bracelet will benefit The Black Eyed Peas Foundation; Good Charlotte, with a deep green bracelet helping out the Richie Madden Children’s Foundation; Hilary Duff, whose purple bracelet will benefit Blessings in a Backpack (which is run by USA Harvest); and Ashanti, who has a royal blue bracelet raising money for the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America.

In the three years since Cartier began the Love Charity Bracelet, well over $2 million has been raised for 16 different charities. Great jewelry for great causes? Sounds like a beautiful combination to me!

Photo courtesy of celebrity-gossip.net

Toby Keith’s annual golf tournament last week raised over $700,000 for Ally’s House, a charity that helps families deal with childhood cancer. The charity is named after one of Toby’s bandmate’s daughters, who died from kidney cancer.

The Toby Keith & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic took place in Oklahoma, and since Toby started the tournament five years ago, it has raised over $2.3 million for Ally’s House. Of course, to raise that kind of money, you need more than one country singer swinging a golf club — the weekend included not only the golf tournament, but also music and a celebrity auction. Many stars associated with country music, and quite a few celebrities we know from other arenas donated to the auction, including George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Loretta Lynn, Tom Hanks, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre, LeBron James, Andrew Agassi, Tony Stewart, and Peyton Manning. The biggest money maker at the auction was a chance to dine with Toby himself, which went for $35,000.

More than 750 people attended some portion of the weekend, and Toby was thrilled, saying, “I knew we could make a difference with Ally’s House, but it really is even bigger than I’d hoped. We’ve helped a ton of families, and we’re proud that we have never had to turn away an Oklahoma family that needs help.”

Photo courtesy of countrystarsonline.com

Ben Affleck has spent a lot of time doing charity work in Africa, but had no idea his work there would take him to Canada. On one of his visits to Africa, he came across the One X One Foundation, a charity that raises money for needy kids, and they asked him if he would attend an event they were holding in Calgary, and of course he said yes.

One X One has raised over $7 million for charity since its inception in 2005. Its Toronto event last year alone raised half that, and it’ll be holding the fourth annual gala there again this year. Coincidentally, the gala, which will be held in September, will be hosted by Ben’s buddy, Matt Damon.

One X One states that “Life Belongs to Everyone,” and to make sure that is true, they “have selected philanthropic partners and supported major initiatives that serve [their] mandate of helping children find a better world and securing their future.” They select charities to spotlight and support each year and select new initiatives to fund along with supporting those partners that have been around since the beginning. The ultimate goal is to help children in Canada and around the world live safely and with dignity.

To see how you can help, check out their website for more information or to make a donation.

Photo courtesy of Ecorazzi.

NBA greats Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, George Gervin, and Clyde Drexler hit the greens last week along with some of their professional baseball, hockey, and football buddies to take part in the Pro Sports Team Challenge Golf Tournament at the Eagle Falls Golf Club at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. They played for pride — each team wanted to show that their sport had the best golfers — but more importantly, they were competing for a $250,000 prize for the charity of their choice.

Team Basketball chose the USO as their charity. Charles Barkley has worked with them in the past, visiting troops in Iraq, Kuwait, and Dubai. However, he didn’t have much hope for winning much money for the charity at the tournament, saying, “… my team sucks!”

Team Football was led by Drew Brees and included LaDainian Tomlinson, John Elway, and Michael Strahan, and they competed for Operation Kids. While all the guys on all the teams made an effort to say hello to the kids at the tournament, Michael Strahan stood out by spending time with every anklebiter he came across and signing whatever they gave him.

Mario Lemieux, Brett Hull, Grant Fuhr and Pierre Larouche made up Team Hockey. Mario Lemieux, a cancer survivor, chose Hockey Fights Cancer as the team’s charity. They entered the competition as the team to beat because all four are well known for being excellent golfers.

Last, but not least, was Team Baseball, led by legend Ozzie Smith, who was joined by George Brett, Vince Coleman, and Bret Saberhagen, who were all playing for the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T), a charity that helps the families of players who have fallen on hard times. B.A.T. helps families with things like health care, medical, housing, burial, utilities, household expenses, and prescriptions.

The event was fun for all, especially for several young men who won contests that allowed them to participate in the tournament with the athletes. There was a good bit of trash talking (imagine that, with Sir Charles being there!), but it was all in good fun for a good cause.

To see which sport won the tournament, you’ll have to tune into Fox Sports Net on June 28 and 29.

Photo courtesy of azsportshub.com

Paul Newman is an amazing example of kindness and generosity. Between the years of 2005 and 2006, Paul privately turned over the full value of his Newman’s Own ownership to the Newman’s Own Foundation. The value of the donation is estimated to be around $120 million. Seriously.

This is true to form for the actor/director/activist, who reportedly gave away $8,746,500 of his personal fortune to charitable groups supporting children, Gulf Coast hurricane relief, education, and the arts. All of this is done quietly, as far under the radar as possible. Some of the organizations he contributes to are well known, but many are small, worthy organizations that aren’t well publicized.

Paul is currently in the news for some far less happy news, however — he is fighting lung cancer. However, just to be clear, his massive donation did not occur as a result of his diagnosis — he made the decision to turn his ownership value over to the Newman’s Own Foundation to celebrate his 80th birthday, before he was diagnosed with cancer. He issued a statement just today regarding his health, saying that he’s “doing nicely” by way of his mouthpiece.

Along with the rest of the world, I wish him all the best in his fight against cancer, and continue to be amazed by his generosity.

Photo courtesy of reuters.com

Hatian-born hip-hop star Wyclef Jean has begun a food relief program called Together for Haiti. The country is experiencing a food shortage and this program will bring together his foundation, Yele Haiti, with the United Nations’ World Food Programme and the Pan American Development Foundation.

Wyclef was inspired to start Together for Haiti because of the recent food riots that have broken out in his home country. However, stopping the riots isn’t his only goal –he aims to help the people learn to help themselves, saying “The revolution has to start with the minds of the people. You can’t have a future without starting from the ground. We are not only interested in feeding people in response to the current crisis, but we want to offer them an alternative that can help them in a sustainable way.” Together for Haiti aims to feed 1.5 million people, employ 1,800 people daily, and provide fertilizers to 55,000 farmers.

Additionally, Wyclef is exploring the idea of microfinance, which would help families that want to set up businesses to be able to do so. The idea is to allow over 9,000 families to get themselves out of a state of poverty so that they can help themselves instead of relying on aid every time there’s a crisis. Wyclef knows what it’s like to grow up in poverty-ridden conditions. He said, “I grew up in a hut and went to school on a donkey.”

To find out more about Together for Haiti and to find out how you can help, check out their website.

Photo courtesy of ecorazzi.com

Glenn Close is a bonafied dog lover, and was recently recognized for her efforts by Look To The Stars. She received the Golden Bone for her work as co-founder of Fetchdog.com, an high-end online store selling dog and puppy supplies. That alone, while nice, isn’t such a big deal. What’s special about Fetchdog is that when Glenn and her husband started it last October, they decided to donate a percentage of every sale to a dog-related charity of the purchaser’s choice.

The store itself has some really cool items, ranging from training tools and leashes (I have my eye on the Not-a-long Coupler) to Earth friendly beds, toys, bath products, and more. But that’s not all the site has to offer.

Glenn also has a blog called Lively Licks, and I’m a huge fan. In it, she holds interviews with celebrity dog owners like Martha Stewart and Debra Messing as well as interviews with inspirational dog owners, like Tracy Christensen and his avalanche rescue dog, Mick. Additionally, she gives tips, tricks and advice on dealing with things like dog smell, hair, and accidents.

She might have played Cruella DeVil in 101 Dalmations, but Glenn Close is anything but cruel in real life. Congrats on your newest award, Glenn, and keep up the good work!

Close-up photo courtesy of starpulse.com. Photo with dogs courtesy of fetchdog.com.

Johnny Depp is lending his voice to a good cause — helping coma patients. He recorded a series of physical commands (in the voice he used for his Pirates of the Caribbean character, Captain Jack Sparrow) for Sophie, a 17-year-old British girl who has been in a coma since last November and is now starting to respond to people and sounds.

Apparently, her response to famous voices has been remarkable — so much so that her family is working to make famous voices available to other families with loved ones in a coma.

It’s important for coma patients to be exposed to a variety of possible “keys” — one never knows what might get through to them and help bring them out of the coma. It could be a smell or a sound, even a voice. In this instance, the family knew Sophie was a huge Johnny Depp fan, so they got a recording of his voice, which proved to be extremely beneficial. They then realized how useful it would be to have a bank of celebrity voices, so no matter who a patient’s favorite star is, their family could play commands in that voice.

A number of other celebrities are signing on to help out, and Sophie’s family is doing even more — they’ll be holding a charity gala ball in June to raise funds for their project. For more information, go to the Sofie’s Gift website.

Photo courtesy of jacksparrow.moonfruit.com

Rhianna is performing a series of concerts to benefit her charity, the Believe Foundation. She has already completed two performances, one in Chicago and another in San Francisco, but she has one more coming up in New York City. The only way to purchase tickets is to make a $100 minimum purchase of Escada’s latest fragrance, Moon Sparkle, at Macy’s Herald Square, Macy’s Staten Island, or Macy’s Brooklyn on this Saturday afternoon.

After each of the concerts, Rhianna makes a point to sign autographs and spend some time with children from various local charities.

Rhianna established the Believe Foundation back in 2006 to “ensure the health and well-being of our future leaders.” Believe works to “assist and inspire children who suffer from life-threatening diseases including cancer, leukemia, and AIDS.” The foundation assists on an individual level as well as on an institutional level, raising money and awareness for medical research. Believe seeks to achieve that which Rhianna has always worked toward in her own career — “to inspire with hope, courage, and love.”

For more information about the event, check out the Highline Ballroom website.

Photo courtesy of defjam.com

Country superstar Carrie Underwood is ready to knock life-threatening diseases like cancer out of the park. Well, she’s ready to knock some softballs over the fence, anyway, and it’s for a good cause.

Underwood is taking part in the 8th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge, which will take place in Nashville, Tennessee on June 4th. The game will feature two celebrity-packed teams competing to raise funds for City of Hope, “an innovative biomedial, research, treatment, and education institute dedicated to prevention and cure of cancer and other life-threatening illness.”

So far, in addition to Underwood, country legend Vince Gill has made the team, and they’ll be joined by Phil Vassar, Chuck Wicks, Danielle Peck, James Otto, and Jake Owen. If you’re interested in watching some celebrity softball for a good cause, head to Ticketmaster. Tickets start at just $18, so really, you can’t go wrong!

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Reese Witherspoon is certainly deserving of her good girl image. As the face of Avon, she has recently introduced Avon’s first global charity product — the Women’s Empowerment Bracelet.

Witherspoon made the announcement at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) press conference. She is the Global Ambassador of the Avon Foundation.

The bracelet, Witherspoon says, “is designed to save and improve women’s lives worldwide. It’s a symbol of unity that represents a future without limitations for all women. It represents everything I love about this company.”

You can purchase a bracelet of your own at the Avon website for just $3.00. And yes, the decimal is in the correct place there. The Avon Empowerment Fund receives 100% of the net proceeds to continue its work toward ending violence against women. Not only should you purchase one for your self, but for your all your girlfriends, too!

Photo courtesy of avon.com

Okay, I know I normally write about really big time celebrities, but I think the Fug Girls count because A) they are pretty well known in and of themselves now (Have you ever visited Go Fug Yourself? You need to! After you finish reading this! It’s a great site dishing the dirt on horrible celebrity fashion.), and B) they write about A-listers, so I think those two things together add up to work for Chatterbox.

Plus, they’re stumping for something really great — the Dewey Donation System. The Dewey Donation System works to “help books find libraries,” and that’s not all. Through donations of books and money, they “helped a library system rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, sent a village of children back to school after a Tsunami, helped restock shelves after wildfires ravaged San Diego’s public library system, and brought library assistance to the attention of communities and government.”

Why is this such a big deal? Well, you’re reading this now. Imagine having a childhood where books are not easily available. Imagine never having read The Babysitters Club, or Green Eggs and Ham, or The Berenstain Bears as a kid. Think about your kids not being able to get their mitts on Harry Potter or Amelia Bedelia. Devastating, right?

You can help put a book in a child’s hands, but you have to do it soon. The 2008 book drive ends March 12, BUT if you make a donation TODAY (March 7), you will be eligible to win a copy of The Fug Girls‘ new book (pictured above, right). Find out more about making a donation here, and be sure to leave a comment at Chatterbox letting everyone know what you gave. If you’re unable to donate, you can still leave a comment telling us your favorite children’s book!

Picture of book courtesy of gofugyourself.com. Picture of Dewey courtesy of deweydonationsystem.com

There are probably many arguments or justifications for why you do not give to people “begging” for money. Here are a few thoughts you may have had, “I’m not sure that she is going to buy food . . . probably going to fund cigarettes, liquor or maybe even drugs.” “I already give a lot to charity.” “He is not really homeless or hungry, it is a scam.” “If she was really hungry, she would go to a shelter.” “Will work for food . . . he doesn’t want a job, he just wants a free ride.” “She doesn’t need that wheelchair, it is a prop.” “You chose to be homeless; you can get ‘help’ if you really wanted to. . .”

Hmmm . . . maybe you are right and maybe you are wrong.

Nevertheless, there is a person who is “down on their luck” asking you for help. Yes, the streets are filled with addicts, mentally ill, beaten down, hopeless people. People walk by everyday, try not to make eye-contact and if they are absolutely pushed to give an answer, say no.

Yes, it could be a scam . . . but what if it’s not?

Isn’t it better to risk being scammed then to potentially walk away from someone who desperately needs help? You never know where that person is in their life or how a simple act of kindness could potentially make “the difference.”

Circumstances may make it impossible to give every time, but maybe start by considering sometimes.

“He who waits to do a great deal of good at once, will never do anything.” Samuel Johnson

The film roles I think of Johnny Depp playing are Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, Benjamin Barker in Sweeny Todd, and the title character in Ed Wood — and none of these characters are guys I would particularly like to have over for dinner. However, lest the eccentric roles and red carpet outfits he chooses steer you wrong, let me tell you why Johnny Depp is a stand-up guy.

Last year, his daughter experienced kidney failure and faced a life and death battle within the walls of London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital. The ordeal left Depp shaken and saying, “To say it was the darkest moment, that’s nothing … It doesn’t come close to describing it. Words are so small.”

Fortunately 8-year-old Lily Rose has recovered, but Depp hasn’t forgotten what the hospital did for her, and to thank them he has donated 1 million pounds. It should also be noted that he made the donation himself, with no press and no publicity.

This probably didn’t surprise the hospital too much, since last year Depp spent several hours visiting patients in the children’s ward, reading stories and chatting. He also invited several of the doctors and nurses of that hospital to the Sweeny Todd premiere.

Quite a few of Depp’s peers could learn from his selfless generosity, though I hope it doesn’t take an event like a seriously ill child for them to realize the impact they can make on causes dear to their hearts.

Photo courtesy of JohnnyDeppFan.com

Comedian Will Ferrell isn’t joking when it comes to helping some folks in South Central Los Angeles. He is taking part in the Solar Neighbors program, a program started by Edward Norton in which BP donates a solar system to a low-income family every time an invited celebrity purchases a similar system.

But Ferrell is taking it one step farther. He will be the first to benefit a multi-unit building — the historic St. George Hotel.

The beautifully restored St. George provides a permanent home and support for people who have been chronically homeless. Aside from the environmental benefit solar paneling provides, it lessens energy costs substantially, and for these families, that’s no laughing matter.

The Solar Neighbors program will officially be unveiled next month, with Norton and possibly Ferrell in attendance. It seems to me like this is a mutually beneficial program — the celebrity gets the product he or she wants, a family’s energy bills are brought down, the environmental impact from both households is reduced, and BP gets to be a hero. It’s a win/win!

Photo courtesy of AskMen.com

The months leading up to turning 40 were a little bit overwhelming. I was constantly being asked what plans I had for the “big event” and how I was feeling about being forty???

I wanted to do something special that didn’t focus on me. It seemed like the perfect thing to do was to take the opportunity to donate my hair to Locks of Love. It is an organization that I have admired for years and it gave me the opportunity to talk about it often when asked about my “big plans.” As the day got closer I did get a little nervous, but since I had been talking it up for months I was committed (picture - 5 minutes before cutting my hair)! It was so exciting to mail-in my 10 inches of hair.

I love to think of a little person smiling because they get to have hair too!

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides wigs and hair pieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 who suffer from long-term medical hair loss. All of the custom hairpieces are made with hair donated from individuals.

Nexxus Salon Hair Care, with Locks of Love, created an easy-to-follow, brief video tutorial to educate interested donors and their stylists on the proper steps to donate. To view the video, click here.

To date, Locks of Love has provided more than 2,000 children in all 50 states and Canada with hairpieces. Most of the children who receive hairpieces suffer from a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cure.

“We can do no great things . . . only small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Well, they’re not the glasses he’s famous for wearing as The Boy Who Lived in the Harry Potter films, but Daniel Radcliffe has donated the very first pair of spectacles he ever wore to an exhibit honoring victims of the Holocaust. Radcliffe wore the oval, metal-framed glasses when he was just six years old.

In case you’re wondering what old eyeglasses have to do with honoring Holocaust victims (because I certainly did), the exhibit is based on a famous WWII picture of a huge pile of glasses confiscated from the victims at Auschwitz.

Radcliffe’s mother is Jewish (and a Muggle, for any Potter-heads out there who might be wondering), which might have helped to influence his decision to get involved. The exhibit will mark National Holocaust Day on the 27th of this month in Liverpool, England. The hope is that Potter’s Radcliffe’s involvement will bring the attention of the younger generation to the symbolic artwork.

He might garner more attention by flying around on his broom and casting a couple of magic spells, but I’ve been told not to expect too much. Still, my fingers are crossed …

Photo courtesy of MuggleNet.com

Gwen Stefani is one smart rock star. After the wildfires in San Diego, she wasn’t sure how to proceed with a concert she had scheduled in the area. Initially, she felt she should cancel it out of respect, but upon further consideration, she realized she could do more good for the community by holding the concert and donating the proceeds than she could by canceling. And donate she did — Stefani gave over $160,000 from the October 30 concert to the San Diego fire-relief fund.

This was the birth of the Gwen Stefani After-the-Fires Scholarship, aiming to help students who lost their homes or jobs in the devastating fires. I think it’s great to see a celebrity put such an emphasis on education — we can’t all make a living with our singing voices!

Details, such as how many students will be eligible for the scholarship, have yet to be determined. However, interested students can download the Common Scholarship Application for scholarships offered by the San Diego Foundation by clicking here, where they’ll have the opportunity to apply for over 75 scholarships through just one application.

Photo Hollyscoop.com

Having children has been the single largest life-changing event for me. It reaches far beyond the obvious into how I see the world and the people in it. The love and vulnerability that I experienced the first time I held my babies is indescribable. As a mother I have made a lifetime commitment to my children, to love them and to be there for them, no matter what happens, no exceptions.

After having children, when I see a homeless person I think, “that is somebody’s baby,” and my heart goes out to them.

When they ask for money, do I always give it? No, not always . . . until now. A couple weeks ago, I was traveling on business and I was lost. I was in a big city, standing on a busy corner with my GPS trying to talk on my cell phone, late for an important meeting, and a homeless man came up to me and asked for money. I shook my head no and turned my back to him. As I found my building and was riding up the elevator to the thirteenth floor, I thought to myself “is this meeting more important than helping that man?” The answer was no. Nothing is more important than another person, no matter what the story is . . .

PETA sure is good at getting gorgeous celebrities to take off their clothes.

Eva Mendes recently doffed her duds to protest the use of fur in fashion, saying, “There are way too many amazing faux-fur options out there for people to still be wearing real fur.” The sexy starlet is just the latest in a line of Hollywood actresses to partake in PETA’s “Fur is Dead” ad campaign — Alicia Silverstone, Christina Applegate, and Pamela Anderson and more have stripped down for animal rights, each of them saying, “Fur? I’d rather go naked.”

Eva admits that she didn’t always understand the cruelty behind the fur industry, but once PETA made her aware of how a fur wrap she wore to a premiere came to be, she vowed to get involved with their organization. And judging by the attention her posterior poster is getting, I would have to say both PETA and her fans are happy as can be about it!

Photo from www.EvaMendes.com.

I recently wrote about Britney Spears and promptly received a call from a dear friend. She was concerned that it might reflect poorly on ChatterBox to mention Britney as her reputation is somewhat tarnished. I too cannot escape the never-ending trail of pictures and tid-bits about Britney in the press. I do not deny that by all accounts it appears that she could be making better choices.

The point of Princess Diana and Britney Spears is . . . it is never too late to change. Every person, every day makes choices that ultimately add up to his/her destiny. Britney is young, a mere twenty-six years old. It has been a bumpy road, but on any given day she can make a choice to do things differently. Yes, she has the paparazzi chasing her. Yes, she lives in a fish bowl. But, so did Princess Diana and look how she used her power for good.

The comparison between Princess Diana and Britney Spears came to mind because at this time, Britney Spears sells more magazines than any other celebrity. Jennifer Aniston and a few others are close behind. I thought back to other notable times when a celebrity presence in the press was at an all time high. I thought about Princess Diana’s wedding and when she passed away. Granted we are talking about the “People’s Princess,” the “Queen of Hearts,” the “Princess of Wales.” While there are many reasons to admire Princess Diana, her desire to help people is what endeared her to me the most. What an excellent role model for someone who has “the power” and “the choice” and only needs direction.

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” Albert Schweitzer

Britney image sonybmg

Happiness is a new day and a fresh start . . .

She might be small in stature, but Heroes star Hayden Panettiere sure has a big heart. The actress recently traveled to Japan to protest the “brutal and unneccessary slaughter” of marine mammals, risking her life in an attempt to defend several dolphins.

She stated that the personal risks were minimal compared to the good that could come of her actions, and she brushes off talk that an arrest warrant has been issued for her as a result of the confrontation she and a number of other activists had with fishermen while there, saying, “I’d do it again … Very possibly, might do it again.”

The girl certainly has garnered loads of attention worldwide for Save the Whales Again! campaign, most recently by publishing a condescending letter she received from the Japanese Government Fisheries Agency along with her response. Panettiere not only told Japan what she thought of their practices — she spent time in our nation’s capitol this past weekend at The Weather Channel’s Forecast Earth Summit telling the rest of the world about her involvement in saving marine mammals.

She also sold t-shirts to raise funds for nature charities. To use her fame to full effect, the slogan on the t-shirts played off the slogan from her hit TV show Heroes, reading, “Save the Whales, Save the World!”

Photo from www.HaydenImages.com.

Happiness is swimming with the dolphins . . .