Angelina Jolie: Support SOS Children's Villages!

Angelina Jolie released a statement today urging support of SOS Children’s Villages, a charity dedicated to serving orphaned and abandoned children worldwide. Here it is:

“We are all wondering how to help the people of Haiti and how to reach the most vulnerable. With 500 villages in 132 countries, SOS offers a family-based village model that provides for the holistic needs of a child — a caring parent, family, community, education and support.

“SOS is the largest organization in the world that addresses the issue of children without parental care. SOS has been in Haiti for over three decades, now raising over 300 orphaned and abandoned children and caring for 4,000 more impoverished children and families to help prevent child abandonment.

“That was before the earthquake. Now the needs for orphaned children are almost incalculable. SOS has been pulling resources together to provide temporary shelter for unaccompanied children, safe areas for mothers, and food, medicine, trauma counselling, and reunification programs for families and children.

“SOS was there before the earthquake, and during it — but most importantly, SOS will be there for many years to come — to raise these children, in their communities until they are self sufficient adults.

“As a long time supporter of SOS, I have visited many of these unique villages personally. I can vouch for their commitment and care for the children. As the Haiti situation unfolds, and we all focus in on ways to help these desperate children — I ask you to please learn more about and consider supporting SOS Children’s Villages.”

To learn more about how you can help, visit SOS-USA.org.

FYI: According to Fashion Week Daily, Ang is shooting the August 2010 cover of Vanity Fair in NYC this weekend!