children

Cindy Crawford is more familiar with pediatric cancer than you might realize. The supermodel’s younger brother, Jeff, was a leukemia patient at the University of Wisconsin Children’s hospital in 1975. He died just before he turned four years old.

This past weekend, Cindy made some appearances in Madison, Wisconsin, to raise awareness of pediatric cancer. She’s the honorary chair of Kids with Courage, a group that reunites childhood cancer survivors and their families. This year marked the fourth reunion. Cindy took part in the three previous reunions in 1993, 1998, and 2003.

According to the University of Wisconsin, Cindy has been contributing her time and her money to its Pediatric Oncology program for almost two decades. She said, “When I was able to start raising money and awareness, I was able to choose where do I want to give back in my life and this just was the first place that popped into my head.”

The Kids with Courage reunions not only allow patients who survived childhood cancer to see each other again, but also allows the families of children who did not survive to see the children and families they spent time with in the hospital when their child was sick. And, former patients get to see their old doctors, which is great for both of them.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have never been shy about giving money to causes they find worthy, and their love of children is obvious. And so, it’s not really surprising to find that the Jolie-Pitt foundation is making a series of donations totaling $1 million to benefit children who have been affected by the war in Iraq, both stateside and in overseas.

The donations will be given to four different organizations which will help children who have lost parents, homes, and schools in Iraq. Three organizations in Iraq will split $500,000 which will pay for the basics, including school supplies, rehabilitation programs, and refugee aid.

The $500,000 that is staying in the U.S. will go toward the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program. The program assists children who are affected by either a parent currently serving or the loss of a parent who served. Operation Hero knows that children of military families face special challenges, such as feeling isolated and experiencing low self esteem, having a parent deployed (or both deployed) for long periods of time, and problems with school work because they’ve moved around so much.

With Angelina and Brad busy expecting their newest additions, it’s great to see them bringing attention to other children in the world!

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Gwyneth Paltrow must have a lovely, lovely voice. She recently participated in a London event to raise money for Palestinian refugee children — Karaoke with the Stars — and her rendition of Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly raised $90,000, making her warbling the most lucrative of the evening.

Gwyneth wasn’t alone in warbling for a worthy cause. She was joined by celebrities like Lily Cole, Lou Reed, Bruce Forsyth, and Stella McCartney. Altogether the event raised $440,000 for the HOPING Foundation.

The HOPING Foundation believes that the next generation of Palestinians hold the key to peace, and HOPING stands for Hope and Optimism for Palestinians In the Next Generation. HOPING works to show Palestinian children that their struggle for even the smallest daily victories is noticed and encouraged by people the world over, specifically in Britain. Grants go toward small community initiatives that make instant improvements to the community and “are provided to encourage and improve all aspects of children’s lives; through art, music, social and sporting activities, and through their education and health needs.”

We might not all be able to raise thousands of dollars by belting out our favorite songs (in fact, I think people would be more likely to pay me not to sing, personally), but if you’re interested in donating to HOPING, you can do so on their website — no singing required.

Photo courtesy of askmen.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.

I don’t think anybody would argue that being a mom is a tough job — that’s why Mother’s Day is such a special time for celebration for so many families. And while many celebrity moms get some flack because they’re able to hire nannies and continue to work as actresses, there are lots of famous moms who make a concentrated effort to take on all the responsibilities that come with motherhood, sometimes at the expense of their careers.

Love Our Children USA has come out with their Third Annual “Mothers Who Make a Difference List,” and there are a bunch of well-known names on it — Cate Blanchett, Marcia Cross, Geena Davis, Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Ashleigh Banfield, Marcia Gay Harden, Jill Hennessey, Finola Hughes, Vanessa Mathison, Melania Trump, Nancy O’Dell, and Kim Raver all made the 2008 list.

The “Mothers Who Make a Difference List” is Love Our Children USA’s way of honoring mothers who, despite a heavy work schedule, find a way to balance their home and career lives so they can serve as solid parents and role models.

Love Our Children USA comes out with this list because there are over three million children in our country who are affected by violence, and bullying, cyberbullying, and a bevy of other internet-related dangers are all too prevalent for a large percentage of school-age children. It’s important to recognize the impact a loving, nurturing mother can have, not only on her own child, but on every mother and child with whom she comes into contact because she makes her family her priority.

Can you think of a mother who makes a difference? Tell us all about her in the comments!

Photo courtesy of theage.com.au

Shakira believes the best way to ensure a better, safer world is to provide vulnerable children with a basic education, and she went to Washington D.C. on April 22 to promote, as honorary chair, the Global Campaign for Education “Action Week,” which will run until the 27th.

The Global Campaign for Education “promotes education as a basic human right,” and works to put pressure on governments to provide “free, compulsory public basic education for all people.”

Having grown up surrounded by poverty in Colombia, Shakira was able to speak from her heart about growing up in a world where parents “are desperate to provide education for their children.” She spoke inspiringly, saying, “I know this is a challenge, but it’s also a historic opportunity for all of us. We know how to address this and it is within our reach, and we can truly be the architects of change and be the first generation in our history to bring education to all children so that no child is left behind.”

Just as the Grammy winner’s Hips Don’t Lie, the campaign is asking countries all over the world to keep their promises regarding education for children. Additionally, with Shakira’s help, the Global Campaign for Education plans to raise up to $3 billion by 2012 to provide basic education for 77 million disadvantaged children who aren’t currently in school.

Photo courtesy of JustJared.com

Who says PETA gets all the fun (and naked, kind-hearted celebrities)?

Nicollette Sheridan and fiance Michael Bolton have posed in a steamy picture featuring a classic London Fog trench coat (and a nude Sheridan wrapped up in it) to benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for kids.

The Hole in the Wall Gang is an organization founded by Paul Newman for kids facing life threatening diseases like cancer. The camp allows these kids to have an outdoor experience they otherwise might have missed. And, more importantly, it gives them a chance to feel like kids and accomplish things that, beforehand, they might have thought were impossible. (And here I thought that posing nude for a children’s charity was impossible!)

As for Sheridan and Bolton, they have been engaged since 2006, but have yet to take the walk down the aisle. There are rumors that Bolton’s three daughters from his first marriage aren’t exactly Desperate Housewives fans, which has caused some familial tension. Perhaps after this act of kindness for the children (offbeat as it may be) will smooth things over.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Drew Barrymore has made a personal donation of one million dollars to the World Food Programme. She has worked with the charity since 2005 and became an Ambassador Against Hunger last year.

Barrymore doesn’t sit back and write checks, though — she’s taken two trips to Africa to see the work accomplished by the World Food Programme, and says, “I have seen with my own eyes what a difference a simple cup of nutritious porridge can make in a child’s life. It helps them learn, stay healthy and sets them on track for a bright future.”

The 33-year-old Charlie’s Angel made the announcement on Oprah’s show, with boyfriend Justin Long in the audience and BFF Cameron Diaz making a telephone appearance. Long gushed about Barrymore, calling her “the most compassionate person” he’s ever met, and Diaz got all choked up about Barrymore’s generous donation.

The World Food Programme has a goal — they want to feed 10 million hungry school children in Africa by Thanksgiving. You can help by visiting their website and making a donation (even if it isn’t a million dollars).

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

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