Angelina Jolie Donates $1 Million to Charity That Provides Meals to Kids Who Rely on School Lunches
Angelina Jolie is looking out for children in need of receiving meals at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oscar winner and activist donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry, an organization distributing aid so communities can help feed children who relied on school lunches for their meals.
“As of this week, over a billion children are out of school worldwide because of closures linked to coronavirus,” Jolie, 44, said in a statement. “Many children depend on the care and nutrition they receive during school hours, including nearly 22 million children in America who rely on food support. No Kid Hungry is making resolute efforts to reach as many of those children as possible.”
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According to a press release, the charity has already distributed $2 million to 78 organizations in 30 states across the country and issued new emergency grants to school districts, food banks and community organizations feeding kids nationwide.
“Over the past week, people from all walks of life have risen to the unprecedented challenge of feeding hungry kids during a global pandemic” said Billy Shore, founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, the organization behind No Kid Hungry. “I’ve heard stories of heart-breaking need and immense creativity, but above all persistence – a sense that we won’t let any barrier stand between a child and the healthy meals they need.”
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Giving to No Kids Hungry isn’t the only way the mom of six is helping those in need as the coronavirus spreads throughout the world.
Jolie also made a donation to the UN Refugee Agency and sent support to the schools she funds in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Kenya and Namibia to help insure they can continue teaching and learning through the pandemic.
Jolie currently funds 10 schools in Cambodia through the the Maddox Jolie Pitt Foundation, set up in the name of her oldest son who she adopted in the Asian country. She also funds the Angelina Jolie school for girls in Kenya and two other schools for girls in Afghanistan.
On a worldwide scale, Jolie is working with UNESCO on the establishment of a Global Education Coalition to help children access distance learning during the period of school closures.
Parents and caregivers in selects states seeking meals for children can text the word “FOOD” (or “COMIDA”) to 877-877 to find emergency food distribution sites in their neighborhoods. More states will be added on a rolling basis.
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