Jolie and Pitt Support American Foster Children With Grant of $100,000 for Christmas to American SOS Children's Villages

SOS Children's Villages - USA today announced a gift of $100,000 from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to support its two American SOS Children's Villages for Christmas.

SOS-Florida and SOS-Illinois were founded over fifteen years ago to provide an alternative form of foster care in the U.S. that puts an end to multiple placements, separation from siblings, physical and sexual abuse or neglect and abandonment.

Ms. Jolie said of the donation, "We have seen first-hand the remarkable job SOS does to raise orphaned and abandoned children and keep families together. No one 'ages out' of an SOS Village: vocational training, advanced education, living assistance and moral support are there forever."

SOS Children's Villages - USA CEO Heather Paul stated, "The Jolie-Pitt Foundation has been a strong and loyal supporter of SOS Children's Villages around the world. We are deeply grateful that this year this couple has included in their generosity our villages in Illinois and Florida and our 300 children who call SOS 'home.'" Brad Pitt: "In this holiday season, many of us take for granted that we are surrounded by loving family members. The poor outcomes for foster children indicate that we must do a much better job of supporting them."

About SOS Children's Villages in Illinois and Florida

SOS-Florida in Coconut Creek provides a home for 75 children of all ages. Services include tutoring, therapy, life skills, and family reunification when possible.

SOS-Illinois operates two villages, one in Lockport which cares for 102 children. A second village in South Chicago takes care of 84 children and youths. A Social Center also provides day care and support services for other families at risk. Another SOS Village on the West Side of Chicago is in the planning stages.

About SOS Children's Villages

For 60 years, SOS Children's Villages has been dedicated to the long-term care of orphaned and abandoned children. With 500 villages in 132 countries, SOS offers a family-based village model that provides for the holistic needs of a child - family, community, education and support - essential for the successful transition from childhood into adulthood. Through Villages, schools, medical facilities, micro-lending, and family strengthening programs, SOS Children's Villages impacts the lives of over 1 million people each year. In 2009, SOS Children's Villages was honored with the Save the World Award. SOS is also the recipient of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize and the Mother Teresa Gold Medal.

About U.S. Foster Care

There are 518,000 American children in foster care. Three in four are separated from their siblings. Most will live in six or more foster homes in the U.S. foster care system. Unfortunately, their future can be bleak: 25% are homeless at some time, 45% never finish high school, 40% live on public assistance and 84% have a child within 18 months of "aging out" of the system.

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Angelina Jolie mulls buying a house for sponsored children

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has been paying for education and food of seven children in Jordan and is now considering buying them a home.

According to staff at SOS Children’s Village in Amman, Jolie, who has six kids of her own, became guardian to the three girls and four boys in 2003 and has been providing them with food and clothing ever since.

And SOS employee Aysha Shahin adds that the actress may even be investing in a home for the family to live in, reported imdb.com

“Angelina will support us by visiting again, even sponsoring a house which will pay the children’s expenses. She’s a sweetheart, and one of our greatest supporters, she said.

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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt visit SOS Children Jordan

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were invited to make a special visit to the SOS Children's Village in Amman, Jordan, by Her Majesty Queen Noor. While it was Brad Pitt's first visit to an SOS Children's Village, Angelina Jolie was glad to return.

Children and mothers of the SOS Children's Village in Amman were overjoyed to receive the visit of a very special friend on 1 October: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie had decided to drop by again, this time in the company of her partner, the actor Brad Pitt. While Ms. Jolie had already visited the village in 2003, committing to covering the running costs of one family house, it was the first time Mr. Pitt had ever been to an SOS Children's Village.

Having been invited by Her Majesty Queen Noor Al Hussein, who is the Honorary Chairman of SOS Children's Villages Jordan, the couple stated that they were having a wonderful time in Jordan with their children, and Ms. Jolie went on to say "The SOS model of providing care for children without parental care is one of the best, as they are still in a family setting within their own country. We hope more people learn about their programmes and give them support".

H.M Queen Noor Al Hussein introduced the SOS Children's Villages model to Jordan in 1983, and has worked tirelessly to help the organization flourish in Jordan ever since. "We are very grateful to her Majesty Queen Noor for all she has done for displaced Iraqis since 2003 and appreciate the dedication of King Abdullah and Queen Rania to their incredible humanitarian initiatives" added Angelina in recognition to the Royal family's effort.

In 2007, Angelina Jolie visited SOS Children's Villages' trauma therapy centre at the Oure Cassoni refugee camp in Chad, one of twelve camps providing shelter, food and treatment for severely traumatised women and children who have escaped the horrors in Darfur. Ms. Jolie wanted to see the situation with her own eyes and make the international community aware of the plight of the people from Darfur. Just a few months later, SOS Children's Villages was one of three agencies working in Chad who received a one million dollar donation from the Jolie/Pitt Foundation.

Angelina Jolie promised to support the upcoming radio campaign of SOS Children's Villages "SOS!Childhood" by building awareness for the fact that childhood is at risk and that everybody should support this noble cause in every part of the world. The SOS!Childhood campaign will start late October 2009 and will last till early 2010, with campaigns to celebrate the 60th birthday of SOS Children's Villages taking place all over the world and being promoted by scores of radio stations worldwide.

Ms. Jolie, who was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2001, has visited refugee camps all over the world, raised public awareness for the plight of refugees and displaced persons in regions of conflict and even created the Jolie/Pitt Foundation together with her partner, which donates money to humanitarian organisations seeking to relieve human suffering. SOS Children's Villages is privileged to count such a dedicated humanitarian among its supporters and hopes to be able to welcome Ms. Jolie and her family again very soon.

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