USA: Kim Kardashian, Zoe Saldana, and Jennifer Love Hewitt give back with Kirk Douglas at homeless shelter Thanksgiving feast

Record ID: 423772

  • Title: USA: Kim Kardashian, Zoe Saldana, and Jennifer Love Hewitt give back with Kirk Douglas at homeless shelter Thanksgiving feast
  • Date: 25th November 2011
  • Summary: ACTRESS ZOE SALDANA PREPARING FOOD
  • Embargoed: 10th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA5YOJXPIDP3XO0SSRILHVA51Y7
  • Story Text: L.A.'s 'skid row' was the site of a celebrity-laden Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless Wednesday (November 23), as stars joined actor 95-year-old actor Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne for volunteer work at the Los Angeles Mission shelter.
    Kim Kardashian, Zoe Saldana, and Jennifer Love Hewitt were all on hand for the annual event, helping to feed thousands of homeless men, women and children were served traditional Thanksgiving meals of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
    Kim Kardashian took her mind off her pending divorce from basketball player Kris Humphries by helping out at the L.A. Mission.
    "I think it's important for anyone to give back, my parents used to take us here, when we were little," says Kardashian, "so I'm kind of following the tradition."
    "Avatar" actress Zoe Saldana said that with all the success she's had in her career, she feels Thanksgiving is about giving back.
    "I feel very grateful for all the things I've gotten in my life, and part of receiving it is also about giving on a holiday like Thanksgiving, and to come here and help the LA mission feed so many people and their families, I can't think of anything better or useful, and beautiful to do on a holiday like this," says Saldana.
    Kirk and Anne Douglas have been benefactors of the Los Angeles Mission for decades, having provided funds for renovations, programs and a women's center. L.A. Mission president Herb Smith says that the Douglas's assistance at the facility is much more than just a holiday photo-op, and that they give a real, year-round presence.
    "They are the most amazing people to know both publicly and behind the scenes, there's no difference, they're not a media driven couple," says Herb Smith, president of the Los Angeles Mission.
    Smith says that Kirk Douglas's personal history with the Mission before he was famous is a driving force for the legendary movie star, who starred in the films "Spartacus" and "Paths of Glory," and is father to actor Michael Douglas.
    "Mr. Douglas, his father was a ragman, he knows what it's like to be on the street and to be hungry, and when he first came to LA, he actually got meals at the Los Angeles Mission, before he was famous. And so, they understand the population that we work with, they have the heart for that," says Smith.
    The presence of other celebrities at the Los Angeles Mission is also encouraged, though not merely for publicity.
    "It's not just a name, we're not here just to get celebrities to endorse us and walk away, we really want people to be actively involved in what we do," says Smith.
    The Los Angeles Mission serves roughly 4,000 meals for its Thanksgiving feast, and over 600,000 meals annually.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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