Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donate $500,000 to Joplin tornado victims

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to the rescue: The generous pair is at it again, this time donating $500,000 to help Joplin tornado victims in Missouri.

The big give makes sense, considering Pitt grew up in nearby Springfield, Mo. In fact he spent much of his childhood in the Joplin area, sharing in a statement, “I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.”

The destructive May 22 twister brought 200 mph winds and destroyed more than 8,000 homes and 400 businesses. Adding to the city’s woes, several residents have contracted a rare, yet lethal fungus in the aftermath of the disaster. The death toll so far has reached 151.

“Last year 42 million people worldwide were displaced by natural disasters,” Jolie added. “So often these disasters seem far away, but now the need is for thousands of people displaced right here at home. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.”

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation funds will benefit the Joplin Recovery Fund via the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The organization “will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin residents for the long haul as they rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts,” Pitt said.

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-- Emily Christianson