In Style's Shining Stars 2008
posted by Jas, 11/30/08
Orlando is featured in the December issue of In Style

HIS PASSION: UNICEF
"As an ambassador for Unicef, I'm a voice for children without basic necessities we take for granted—safe drinking water, electricity, a roof over our heads. It's heart-wrenching. I've traveled to Nepal, and it's incredible to see what a huge impact the fund has on communities there. I met a 6-year-old named Rita who used to spend half of her day collecting water for her family. The water is not clean, so in these environments an intestinal problem can be a killer for kids. A simple tap, which costs about $20, can provide water to the whole community—for life! Now instead of collecting water all day, Rita can go to school and have the possibility of a better life."

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Donate online at unicef.org, or purchase Unicef items, such as holiday cards, stationery and toys.

Orlando Bloom learns about UNICEF's support for vulnerable families
posted by Jas, 11/30/08
Unicef has a report on Orlando's visit to a rehabilitation center in Moscow, see photos here

The children in the Krasnoselsky social shelter in the centre of Moscow could not believe their luck when their hero from Pirates of the Caribean - Orlando Bloom - specially came to visit and spend time with them. "Wow! Will Turner live!" – the children were happy to talk to their hero . "When did you start acting?", "What kind of music do you prefer?", "Do you like Russian cuisine?" – Orlando enjoyed the openness and honesty of the children and answered all of their questions.

The children in the shelter have come from vulnerable families no longer able to take care of them, frequently because of enormous economic and social pressures. Many have been neglected and forced to survive on their own, living some or all of the time on the street, where they are exposed to all sorts of risks both physical and psychological. Orlando Bloom went to see the UNICEF-supported shelter, on his first visit to Russia as he wanted to understand for himself the work being done for those children who really need help. Orlando was impressed with the work the shelter is doing to reintegrate the children back into their original families.

UNICEF's Representative in Russia, Bertrand Bainvel, explains that "the work this shelter is doing is important in offering immediate care to children found in extremely hazardous and difficult situations, and in helping them to recover and reintegrate into society. UNICEF is pleased to see that in Russia, much more priority is now being placed on minimizing these situations in the first place either by supporting vulnerable families or developing alternative family based care when it is not in the best interest of the child to grow up in its biological family."

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supports a number of institutions offering rehabilitation and support to such children in Moscow and St Petersburg, but also works at regional and national levels to promote social services that provide intervention and support starting from early interventions up to reintegration.

Soon Orlando Bloom will become UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He has already started to attract attention to children's problems around the world, for example to the issue of providing clean drinking water in Nepal and to the situation of children in Sarajevo

Orlando wants you to vote for Barack Obama
posted by Jas, 11/04/08
Check out two video clips of Orlando volunteering for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign, he wants you to vote for Barack.

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