Over four years ago, United Planet wrote a blog about 7 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Did Volunteer Work Abroad. As one of our most popular blogs, we thought it was about time to add to our list. So, here are five more celebrities who volunteer their time and energy abroad. We would like to thank you all for anything and everything you do to help make the world a more understanding, more peaceful, and more united place for all of us.
Matt Damon. Everyone has heard of Matt Damon. 
However, fewer people know that he is a true champion of service work. Damon co-founded water.org, which helps provide access to safe and clean water. He is also one of the founders of the Not On Our Watch Project, which aims to prevent mass atrocities by focusing global attention and resources. It builds on the voices of cultural leaders to protect those vulnerable to, and marginalized displaced by the violence of genocide.
Hayley Wickenheiser. Hayley Wickenheiser is a Canadian former women’s ice hockey player. She was a member of Canada’s national team for 23 years, went to the Winter Olympics 5 times and won 4 gold medals, and is widely considered the best women’s hockey player in the world. Now, she is an ambassador for ONE x ONE, an organization that works to improve the lives of children around the world through programs dedicated to the areas of water, health, education, play, and nutrition.
Petra Nemcova. Petra Nemcova is a Czech model, perhaps known best for appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She founded the Happy Hearts Fund after the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Nemcova was personally affected by the natural disaster, as she was vacationing in Thailand with her boyfriend when it struck. Her loss gave her a new understanding of Mother Nature, and a new desire to help those in need. The organization works to rebuild schools affected by the tsunami so that children can continue to learn.
Ian Somerhalder. Ian Somerhalder, known best for playing Boone Carlyle in Lost and Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, volunteered in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster. He helped by cleaning oil off of animals and taping flyers to let the public know how they could help. Sometimes the seemingly small tasks are the important ones. Somerhalder founded the Ian Somerhalder Foundation to educate people on the importance of environmental and animal protection and conservation.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. 
Who hasn’t heard of Beyoncé? Famous for her singing voice, Beyoncé co-founded Chime for Change to give a voice to women and girls everywhere. Focusing on projects in Education, Health, and Justice, the organization raises money by highlighting stories that women and girls want to hear through concerts, documentaries, and more. Chime for Change has funded more than 300 projects in over 80 countries.
We are proud of and grateful to all of our volunteers, including past celebrities such as Hilary Swank, who volunteered with us in India, and we would like to extend our gratitude to any individual who has volunteered service to make the world a better and more united place. Anything from picking up trash on your street to raising funds for an international organization helps the planet. We only ask that you continue to make these strides and follow in the footsteps of these celebrities, as they make the world a better place for everyone through action. In volunteering abroad, you get a multifaceted experience: you will not only help another community, but you will also understand a new culture and make the world a stronger place through the relationships you form.
Join us to volunteer abroad with United Planet in more than 25 countries!
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
