Celebrities Volunteering and Giving Back – Selena Gomez

Sorry girls, Justin Bieber can’t really be your boyfriend. He belongs to one of the sickly sweet juvenile teenage celebrities, Selena Gomez. But not only is she dating every girl’s fantasy, she is already gaining worldwide recognition for her role in the Emmy Award winning show, “Wizards of Waverly Place” on the Disney Channel and has starred in numerous films. Yes, Selena Gomez has it all. However, despite the glamorous life that she can enjoy with her fame, this young lady is devoting her time and energy as an active philanthropist.

1. Being Active

Gomez has been participating in many campaigns and charity events throughout her career. Let me first list few activities that she had participated in the early time of her career.

In October 2008, she participated in St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital’s “Runaway For Life” benefit. She has been the ambassador of DoSomthing.org—an organization that launches several national campaigns to make real impact for a social change—after her experience with the charity Island Dog a project to help dogs in Puerto Rico. She is also a spokesperson for State Farm insurance, helping it raise awareness of being a safe driver. To some celebrities, this list will sound impressive already. But to Gomez, this was only a start.

2. UNICEF’s youngest Goodwill Ambassador

In August 2009, a 17-year-old Gomez became the youngest UNICEF ambassador ever, passing her fellow songstress Hayley Westenra, who was 18 when she was chosen. Her relationship with UNICEF was first established when she was named UNICEF’s spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween to help children around the world. UNICEF acknowledged Gomez’s passion for philanthropy and soon enough, Gomez was on her first official field mission to Ghana.

Fresh off the stage of her benefit concert for UNICEF, which raised $200,000, she was taking her efforts for the organization one step further. She traveled to Ghana on September 4, 2009 for a week to witness first-hand the stark conditions of vulnerable children that lack vital necessities including clean water, nourishment, education and healthcare. When she came back, she explained during an interview, “That is why I feel very honored to have a voice that kids listen to and take into consideration. I had people on my tour asking me where Ghana is, and they googled it. Because I went there, kids listen to my words and take into consideration. It’s pretty incredible” Continuing her work for the UNICEF, Gomez raised over $700,000 at her second Trick-or-Treat campaign. She also participated in celebrity auction and hosted a live webs cast series on Facebook for this event.

In February 2011, Gomez traveled to Chile to witness and meet with the families of UNICEF’s supported program, “Programa Puente” which helps families better understand and develop skills to deal effectively with early children education, development and other issues related to raising children. After her trip, she said, “UNICEF is helping Chilean families get out of poverty, prevent violence within the home and promote education. To witness first hand these families’ struggles and also their hope and perseverance, was truly inspiring”

Her second trip took pace fresh off the sage of her benefit concert for UNICEF, which raised about $200,000. For the ENOUGH Project, an effort to end genocide and crimes against humanity in Sudan, Chad, Congo, northern Uganda, and Somalia, Gomez was a huge asset. She witnessed firsthand the difficulties that Colgolese citizens were struggling due to the war, poverty and conflict minerals. She also made a PSA with Kermit the Frog to raise awareness of endangered amphibians, half of which will extinct soon if something doesn’t happen.

3. What more?

Gomez recently joined other celebrities in strutting her stuff down the runway in Beverly Hills in aid of Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where over $1 million dollars was raised for the cause. She is also taking a part in launching the second close circuit media centre, “The Voice” in the children’s hospital of Philadelphia on behalf f the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.In April 2012, Gomez was named ambassador to the Ryan Seacreast Foundation.

It seems like lady Selena Gomez has more than enough to be Justin Bieber’s girlfriend. She is fast becoming an international role model for kids everywhere.