NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making A Difference”: Tim McGraw (video and commentary)

(Friday, November 13, 2009) NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making a Difference” special week long series. Country singer Tim McGraw talks about his charity founded with wife Faith Hill to help communities in need and it’s special focus in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with NBC’s Amy Robach.

Faith Hill and husband Tim McGraw (Larry Busacca / Getty Images)

Tim McGraw and wife Faith Hill have long been giving back to charitable organizations but were looking for a way to make a direct impact. Raised with similar values where neighbors helped each other out, together they founded Neighbor’s Keeper in 2004. Concerts called “red and water shows” are among the many ways the organization raises funds to assist communities with affordable housing, recreational activities, and more. In light of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tim describes a special focus they took on via Neighbor’s Keeper to help children deal with the trauma of the natural disaster through art therapy.

The embed code provided on msnbc.com does not work with my WordPress page so I’m placing the link to the interview for you to watch below. Continue to read my reaction, and I encourage you to comment with yours.

NOTE: If the links do not work, go to the Making a Difference website and you’ll find links to each celebrity about 2/3 down the page under a heading “Celebrities Making A Difference.”

(VIDEO LINK) Celebrities Making A Difference: Tim McGraw turns spotlight on hurricane recovery

(VIDEO LINK) Celebrities Making A Difference: Tim McGraw ‘Katrina really hit close to home’

My Reaction…

Amidst the current controversy swirling around Tiger Woods and his wife Elin, it’s nice for me personally to turn the focus back for a moment to a celebrity couple who are in the news for doing something positive- Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. As this special series closes out with Tim McGraw, I’m inspired by his willingness to leverage his notoriety in a positive light through giving back. Neighbor’s Keeper gave $1 million to Sister Judith Brun’s art therapy and family counseling program in Baton Rouge. Seeing the children’s artwork as they process something horrific touched my soul in the already soft spot I have for Hurricane Katrina.

I recognize it probably makes business sense for all of these celebrities to do some charitable work, but watching the featured interviews with Tim and the other celebrities from the week allowed me to see how much passion they had for their specific causes. As Tim reminds us, charity begins at home.

NBC Nightly News website– Making a Difference

Neighbor’s Keeper website– www.neighborskeeper.org

Donate to Neighbor’s Keeper Fund– Donate (via The Community Foundation)

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