THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora

PHILANTHROPY - Will And Jada Pinkett-Smith



Interesting seeing where the bulk of their donations have gone - mostly religious organizations (church ministries and such). That tells us a bit about them - most obviously that they are devoted Christians, and definitely interested in Scientology.


Of the $1.3 million in donations their foundation gave in the last year, at least 50% went to religious groups, including half a million dollars to 2 different Christian ministries, $122,500 to the church of Scientology, and another several thousand to a Los Angeles mosque, amongst others...

I've always wonder where all that money goes... what do the churches who receive such large sums of money do with all that money? Could there be some better use for the money - maybe more deserving recipients?

Questions... questions...

At least, they are giving, right?

Courtesy of EURWeb:

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have deep pockets when it comes to charities. Tax returns for their foundation show the couple gave $1.3 million in donations last year to a variety of religious, civic and arts groups, reports Fox411's Roger Friedman.

The columnist wrote Wednesday: Smith’s biggest single contribution was, as usual, Yesha Ministries of Philadelphia. He gave the born-again Christian based organization run by Reverend James Robinson a whopping $250,000. That’s a hefty raise from the $140,000 he gave them the previous year. Another $200,000 went to a Christian ministry outside Los Angeles called Living Waters.

He also gave a combined $122,500 to the Church of Scientology, broken into these donations: $67,500 to the New York Rescue Workers Detoxication Fund, $50,000 to the group’s Celebrity Center in Hollywood and $5,000 to ABLE, another Scientology offshoot. Smith and his wife have also supported a private school called New Village Academy they opened this fall in suburban Los Angeles that uses Scientology learning concepts.

The star of movies like “Hancock,” “I Am Legend,” and the upcoming “Seven Pounds” also donated thousands of dollars to a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and to the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel. And though Smith is not featured in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” he also sent $25,000 to the Progeria Research Foundation. Progeria is a disease that causes rapid aging.

Quite a diverse group of recipients.

I'll be seeing Seven Pounds this weekend. Full review after...

via EURWEB

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