Drew's million-dollar miracle (August 2008)

Drew Barrymore's gift to Africa's kids changed their lives--and her own.

These days, almost every celebrity has a pet cause. They headline a benefit, walk the red carpet and raise some money--all admirable and good, but not exactly Drew Barrymore's style. Instead, as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP), she has traveled to Kenya and met with hungry women and children. "At first, I was overwhelmed," Drew told Glamour. "How could I, as one small person, have any effect? Then I learned that 25 cents a day can feed a child." This spring, after the price of food in Africa rose 55 percent, Drew donated $1 million to WFP to feed millions of Kenyan children. It's a lot of money, but Drew wants others to know that even much smaller amounts help. Just one dollar will provide a girl with four nutritious school lunches or rations to take home to her family; $50 will feed her for a year. "Any donation can not only make a difference," says Drew, "it can actually change children's lives."

- Sarah Robbins