what's NOW! CAUSE CELEB

Whenever disaster strikes and wherever the underprivi­ leged dwell, Concern Worldwide deploys its team of experts to create long-term sustainable solutions. As its first global ambassador, Toni Collette is on the front line

o matter what role she's in, the What resonated with you about your visit to award-winning Australian actress the tent city Cite Cabrit? Five years after the Toni Collette brings a burning earthquake, the people there, nearly 150 fami­ intensity. At 11, she faked appendi­ lies, are still living under tarps and sheets of tin. BY l~f citis so realistically that her healthy They still have no food, no water, no money, Nappendix was actually removed. In Showtime's and no access to health care. It's tempting to N~MBf~~ Th e scope of United States of Tara, she played a woman with regard the poverty and misery as too deep Concern's work multiple personalities, believably pulling off eight to fix. But Concern chips away at the challenges at a gli mpse characters. Most recently, Collette shed an and, most important, sticks around. It doesn't unsettling 15 pounds to portray a cancer-stricken drop care packages and run. Rather, it educates mother in the comedy (yes, a comedy) Miss You people, encourages their autonomy, and won't Already. So it only makes sense that when she leave until real changes have been implemented. 6.5 million of the globe's became the first global ambassador for Concern What does that change look like? One of poorest have been Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization Concern's goals is to foster financial indepen­ touched by the organiza tion's efforts founded to fight extreme poverty, she took to dence and break the cycle of poverty. In Haiti, the project fully. What attracted her, she says, is for instance, we've helped 5,600 families move that the NGO approaches its projects with intelli­ into permanent housing by covering a year's gence and commitment. "Concern has no blanket worth of their rent up front. By giving these 27 rule for helping other than listening to people in people another crack at life, we've also instilled countries have been hel ped by t he orga niza­ need and treating them with respect," she says. a sense of purpose, which is beautiful to watch. t ion's activit ies For her first trip as ambassador last summer, Collette traveled to Haiti to see Concern's efforts firsthand. The 92.2 images are still fresh in her mind. ce nt s of eve ry dollar Port-au-Prince is only four hours donated goes directly toward t he orga ni za - from New York, yet it must have tion's programs felt like a world away. It did. Haiti is still recovering from the 2010 earthquake, which came on the heels of a devastating 2008, when ~H INVOlVrn! four hurricanes ravaged the nation. - < ~'C o nc e rn But even then, Haiti is just a toe in I] Concernworldwid e the water in terms of the areas ~ Conce rnworldwide Concern takes on. That's the most frightening part, because what Donate at concern.net. I witnessed there was just so sad.

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