Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie donate $500,000 to Joplin, MO recovery effort

Several weeks ago, in a post about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie shopping for Shiloh's fifth birthday, I threw in some quotes Brad had given about the tornados and floods in Missouri, and specifically the devastation in Joplin. I just cut-and-pasted from Fox News, and many of you pointed out that Brad might have made a mistake, or perhaps Fox News made a mistake, because it seemed like Brad was quoted talking about JOPPA' Missouri. Which doesn't exist. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for that mixup. I still don't know who made the mistake.

Anyway, Brad grew up in Missouri, as we know. And Brad and Angelina have ended up...

using their charity, The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, for both domestic and international causes. When the foundation makes domestic contributions, it's almost always in and around Springfield, MO, where Brad's parents and much of his family live now. His brother Doug is a prominent businessman, and his parents are very active in the Springfield community, and Brad (and Angelina) have supported many local causes (to see some of our coverage, go here and here and here). Now that so many Missourians are struggling in the wake of flood and tornados, Brad and Angelina have once again made a substantial donation:

Through their foundation, Springfield native Brad Pitt and partner Angelina Jolie on Friday contributed $500,000 to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, to bolster the recovery effort in Joplin.

'Rebuilding after a disaster is a long process,' said Brian Fogle, President of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. 'As our neighbors in Joplin begin to deal with the devastation, this donation from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation gives them the hope and confidence they will need to rebuild their lives, homes and community.'

The money will be used to support mid- and long-term rebuilding efforts in the storm-ravaged city.

'With the devastating loss of thirty percent of the city, the Joplin community faces great challenges ahead. Having spent much of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient,' said Brad Pitt. 'The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin residents for the long haul as they rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts,' Pitt said.

Added Jolie: 'Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.'

The CFO fund now stands at more than $1 million.

[From KSPR]

I know some people are going to bitch about this, so whatever. I'm not even going to rise to defend Brad and Angelina to people who froth at the mouth over literally ANYTHING they do. For those of us who find it interesting, I'd like to point out one of the many reasons why I love Brad and Angelina's pattern of giving. It's not JUST the amount of money they donate, or the people that they've helped, or the attention to vital causes that impresses me. I'm consistently impressed with the fact that they not only donate to draw attention to emergency situations, but they also focus money on long-term rebuilding and recovery projects. They don't just think about what people need this week (although they do give extensively to emergency crisis situations) - they're also putting money into projects for people in need months and years down the line. I love that.
Photos courtesy of WENN.

via Celebitchy
fafarazzi.com