Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is currently in Rwanda to promote a youth village slated to open for 500 children who were orphaned by the 1994 genocide. The village is an American Jewish project, being built by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Jewish donors are financing it, and it will be run following the educational philosophy that was used in Israeli youth villages that housed Holocaust orphans.

As one of the world’s most well-known Jewish American actresses, Natalie is doing her part to promote the village by filming a clip, which is expected to air on Oprah in just a few weeks.

There is a strange cloud of secrecy surrounding Natalie’s visit, however — all photos of her in Africa are off limits until her film airs on Oprah, and when she initially landed for a layover on her way to Rwanda and was spotted, another organization in the area claimed she was there for their own project. I imagine this short film she’s in Rwanda to shoot is going to be a really powerful tool, and they just want to make sure they get as much out of it as possible.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Top chef Mario Batali has brought together a number of famous food enthusiasts to create The Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook to benefit homeless charities. Several celebrities, like Marisa Tomei and Natalie Portman took part in the project, offering up recipes for some tasty Italian treats.

Fans can visit the website (www.celebrityitaliantable.com) and download recipes they find interesting. One dollar from each purchase will go toward homeless charities.

In case you’re concerned that, even though you loved Debra Messing in Will & Grace, you might not like her cooking, fear not — the celebrities gave their favorite pasta dishes to Batali, and then he recreated them and developed a special menu to accompany the dish. Party planner extraordinaire David Tutera then masterminded a fabulous table settings to compliment the meal, and let me just tell you — the pictures alone are worth the purchase, whether you actually cook the meal or not.

Curious (and hungry) yet? Click here to preview the book. And remember, by purchasing a recipe to feed your family, you help a person in need.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

I’m sure many of you have resolved to be better listeners in 2008. Well, if you need inspiration, look to Natalie Portman and the Listen campaign, “a new multimedia charity initiative designed to highlight the plight of poor children all around the world.” Celebrities involved with Listen visit children in some of the poorest areas of the world and record their stories to make documentaries. The idea is that the general public is more likely to tune into a story about a 17-year-old HIV-positive AIDS orphan raising his four younger siblings if someone famous is helping the story along.

And as much as I’d like to protest that statement, I think they’re right.

Through Listen, Portman and other celebs seek to bring attention and funds to children who, for whatever reason, have not received charity of any kind. The goal is to raise $1 billion over the next 10 years, and with help from Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Goldie Hawn and more, it’s a real possibility.

Visit Listen’s website for more information about the campaign and to see how you can help. When families are living in harsh conditions on less than three dollars a day, anything you can do will make a difference.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com