15 big stars with even bigger hearts

1. Liam Hemsworth

The Hunger Games actor works on behalf of a charity in his native Australia. “I’m an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation (www.childhood.org.au). My dad has worked in child protection and human services for 21 years, and the whole point of the Australian Childhood Foundation is to prevent kids from being abused in any situation at school, at home, around the world, anywhere. I want kids to grow up in a family like the one I grew up in – where parents are extremely supportive and where you are always safe. I want kids to be able to live out their dreams and go to school and learn and do meaningful things with their lives. That was kind of a big thing for me. I want kids to grow up happy.”

2. January Jones

Mad Men actress January Jones works with www.oceana.org. “There are more important things we need to do in getting shark-fin soup banned in certain cities and more ocean conservation things. I would love to do more dives with sharks to bring more awareness and maybe even travel abroad to bring more awareness to other countries. There is a lot of work that needs to
be done.”

3. Drew Barrymore

In 2007, the Charlie’s Angels star was chosen as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme (www.wfp.org). “I work with the UN, but I’ve other things I am really passionate about. You can get really overwhelmed because you want to fix everything and don’t find that you fix much. I try to focus all my attention or a lot of my energy into one thing, because I find if I spread myself too thin... I don’t succeed as well as I would like to.”

4. Selena Gomez

The teen star works on behalf of the United Nations Children’s Fund (www.unicef.org). “The best thing about fame is that you can use it for things you love. For me, it was my music, which I was able to do, and I am continuing to do. I got to do my clothing line, my fragrance and all my Unicef and charity work.”

5. Miranda Kerr

Victoria’s Secret supermodel Miranda Kerr works with Children International (www.children.org). “That’s a really good charity and also an investment for the future. Young children, from five, to people of 25 get free counselling and advice. And they save other people’s lives on a daily basis. Someone can call and they can tell you about any problems they’re having. They get a professional’s opinion on that. I believe if we all make small changes, we can make a big impact on the world.”

6. Olga Kurylenko

The former Bond girl from Ukraine works with Hope and Homes for Children (www.hopeandhomes.org) which places children without families in foster homes. “Hope and Homes for Children is a UK organisation. Right now they’re building a centre for mothers and babies, because there are a lot of 15-year-old girls that are having children and they’re on the street so the baby ends up in an institution. It’s an organisation that takes care that babies don’t go into institutions and they stay with their families. So they’re trying to keep them together. I’m trying to find donors and it’s so hard because although there are so many rich people they don’t think about that… Of course I’m not saying ‘give away your money’. I think it’s about approach. You’ve got to go and tell them because they don’t think themselves. So I’ve been trying but it’s so hard to get in contact.”

7. Petra Nemcova

Supermodel Petra Němcová was injured in Thailand in the 2004 tsunami and lost her fiancé in the tragic event. She is a founder of Happy Hearts Fund (www.happyheartsfund.org), which helps children in areas affected by natural disasters. “We built 57 schools in five years now. We are launching three new brands – a fragrance, jewellery and a health drink – and all support Happy Hearts Fund, of course, for rebuilding of schools.”

8. Pamela Anderson

The former Baywatch star has worked with animal-rights group Peta (www.peta.org) for years. “I was in Istanbul where they have a huge stray dog issue that needs to be addressed. I always encourage people, in whatever country I am in, to spay and neuter their pets. There are so many there that are hurt or abandoned. I have been able to create animal welfare laws and have worked with Peta for over 15 years now and that’s been really great.”

9. Courteney Cox 

The former Friends star has found a charity close to her heart. “I definitely have the chance now to use my celebrity to help charities that mean something to me. I give to so many charities, but there are certain ones I try to give more than just money; I give my time. One of them is EBMRF – Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation (www.ebkids.org). My manager’s sister’s son has EB, a rare inherited connective tissue disease causing blisters in the skin and mucous membranes. It’s just so shocking to me to see this little kid who couldn’t do the same activities that other children could do because he is so fragile.”

10. Sienna Miller

“I’m no Mother Teresa but it’s good to do your bit. I’m a spokesperson for the International Medical Corp. I went to Africa with them to refugee camps, to internal replacement camps within Congo, and it’s a real mess over there. I blogged on my trip from Congo. There’s more info on www.takepart.com. We’re trying to raise awareness. They came to me, but I’ve always done that kind of work.” On climate change, she says, “If you go to www.globalcool.org they tell you little things you can do like if you turn your heating or your air conditioning down one degree that’s a tonne of carbon you saved that year and that’s all it takes.”

11. Ashley Judd

Singer and actress Ashley Judd devotes her time to environmental causes. “My environmental work at the moment is focused on being on the board of directors at Defenders of Wildlife (www.defenders.org) where we restore and mitigate habitat and off-set the damage that’s being done by global climate change. I’m really proud to be associated with that organisation.”

12. Mary J Blige

The singer started the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (www.ffawn.org) in 2007. “With FFAWN, we want to educate… I didn’t go forward with my education. I dropped out of high school in the 11th grade and I’ve been regretting it ever since. I’ve been educating myself. I’ve come a long way. I can articulate myself, I can hold my own, and I believe that education gives you confidence. I’m confident now because I have that. And that’s what FFAWN does – help women feel better. A lot of women drop out of high school or don’t go to college because they don’t have babysitters, or they have too many children, or they just don’t feel good. I want them to know, to not give up. Give yourself the second chance.”

13. Dana Delany

Desperate Housewives and Body of Proof actress Dana Delany lost her father to pancreatic cancer. “I’m an ambassador for Stand Up To Cancer (www.standup2cancer.org). I was one of the original people on that. We raised millions, which was great. And I’ve been helping with PanCan (www.pancan.org), which is the Pancreatic Cancer Network. I got involved because I was on Good Morning America talking about Stand Up To Cancer and I mentioned that my father had died in 1981 from pancreatic cancer. And the PanCan guys said, ‘How come we didn’t know this? We should get in touch with her.’ So I started helping them. And what was shocking to me was, that was 30 years ago and nothing’s improved… Breast cancer has made a lot of progress because so many people have joined in and talked about it and helped out. Same thing with prostate cancer. But no one has really done that for pancreatic cancer. And I believe it’s the fourth biggest killer, in terms of cancer.”

14. Cee Lo Green

Forget You singer and The Voice judge Cee Lo works with the National Volunteer Fire Council (www.nvfc.org). “I’m a part of an organisation called Power Those Who Protect Us and it’s to acknowledge and appreciate volunteer firefighters across the country. And so what we did was use the vehicle that is Forget You, put a spin on it and entitled it Thank You in honour of the many people who have sacrificed their time and energy, and even their lives. And this included my mother. This hits very close to home to me, to be a part of this organisation, because my mother was also a fireman.”

15. Scott Caan

Hawaii Five-O and Entourage star Scott Caan is involved in environmental work. “I work with a group called Surfers Healing (www.surfershealing.org) where we take autistic kids surfing in the ocean. I work with another group called Life Rolls On (www.liferollson.org), which was founded by a surfer who broke his neck surfing. We take spinal cord injury people out in the water and get them involved in the sports they were involved in before their injuries. Also, Art of Elysium (www.theartofelysium.org) which is all about getting kids involved in the arts… I like to find things I can do that not everybody can do. Not everyone can show a kid how… to surf or get in the ocean and I feel like I’m doing something... I’m using what I have.”