Jennifer Lawrence has made Louisville, Kentucky, proud with her philanthropy and generosity.
Given all the bad news highlighted by the media, I thought it would be an excellent change to write a positive, uplifting story on a Louisville local who has been generous to her community.
Today I wanted to write about Jennifer Lawrence, the actress from Louisville, Kentucky, who is famous for acting, but perhaps there should be more well-known for her charitable efforts.
Let's take a quick look.
The Louisville actor
Jennifer Lawrence was born in Indian Hills, Kentucky, in 1990 and was educated at the Kammerer Middle School in Louisville. She dropped out of school at 14 to pursue a career in acting.
Lawrence received her first Academy Award nomination for Winter's Bone in 2010. Two years later, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook, making her the second-youngest winner in the category at age 22.
By 2015 she was the highest-paid actress in the world- and she started using her wealth for charitable causes. Then, at the height of her fame in 2017, she took a year off acting to focus on causes she was passionate about.
"I'm going to take the next year off. I'm going to be working with this organization as a part of Represent.Us... trying to get young people engaged politically on a local level It's just anti-corruption, and stuff trying to pass state by state laws that can help prevent corruption, fix our democracy," Jennifer Lawrence
Philanthropy
In 2015, Lawrence founded The Jennifer Lawrence Foundation. The fund supports a variety of charities, including Fund for the Arts, Boys and Girls Club, Make-A-Wish Foundation, West End School, St. Mary's Center, Special Olympics, and more. In its first year, it donated $188,000 to programs for the arts in Louisville.
Lawrence was a regular visitor on Christmas Eve at Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, and in 2016 she donated $2 million to the hospital. The hospital is now known as Nortons Children's Hospital.
“As part of my effort to help these children and caregivers, I challenge the entire community to get behind this cause and help my gift by raising an additional $2M to support all of these brave and inspiring children,” Jennifer Lawrence
In 2018 Lawrence became the youngest person ever to receive the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, given annually to a woman who has been a pioneer and philanthropic leader in her industry.
"In merely a decade, her remarkable professional achievements, her willingness to take risks, and her philanthropic generosity have inspired millions. She reminds young women all over the world that their voices are meant to be heard." Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures
Lawrence has continued to support the Children's Hospital in Kentucky. In December 2019, the Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), part of Norton Children's Heart Institute, was dedicated, and the first patients moved into the unit in early 2020.
“The lifesaving work that happens here every day astounds me. I am so grateful for the doctors that dedicate their lives to saving others. Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice. “This unit was developed for the patients and families to help in their fight against heart issues, along with the world-class specialists who care for them.” Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence is a regular visitor to children's hospitals, bringing joy and smiles to young patients.
Your thoughts
Readers, what do you think of Jennifer's charitable efforts? What other organizations in Louisville would you like to see her support?
Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below and share this article with others so they can join the discussion.
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