Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help a Missouri town where Pitt’s mother went to school recover from a huge tornado that struck on May 22.
The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after an estimated 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.
“The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead,” said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.
“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.”
“Last year 42 million people worldwide were displaced by natural disasters,” added Angelina. “So often these disasters seem far away, but now the need is for thousands of people displaced right here at home. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.”
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43 affiliate community foundations. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the Missouri Ozarks region through resource development, community grant making, collaboration, and public leadership.
“We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them,” said Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several subsequent calls, but we learned that they made a donation.
“It’s been our experience that there is an outpouring on the relief side. There are great agencies that focus on that. But people don’t think about the long-term recovery, so that’s what this fund is for.”
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