Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help the town of Joplin -a town near the
Mississippi River, where Pitt's mother went to school recover from a huge tornado (龙卷风)that struck
on May 22, 2011.
     The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town
of Joplin after about 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.
      "The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead," said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood
there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.
     "The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with
these Joplin citizens for long to rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding
efforts."
     "Last year 42 million people worldwide were hurt by natural disasters," added Angelina. "So often,
these disasters seem far away; but now, the need is right here at home for thousands of people. Our
hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much."
     The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43
branch community foundations. The Foundation's task is to improve the quality of life in the Missouri
Ozarks area through resource development, community grant making, working together, and public
leadership.
     "We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them," said Brian
Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several calls afterwards, but
we learned that they made a donation.