Christian Bale breaks ground on foster homes

(8 Feb 2024)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Palmdale, Calif. - 7 February 2024
1. Medium Christian Bale groundbreaking shovel photo opp with wife Sibi Blažić, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Together California co-founder Eric Esrailian
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Bale, actor-Together California co-founder:
"Sixteen years. Yeah. Look, I didn't think it was going to take that long. You know, I had a very naive, naive idea about kind of getting a piece of land and then, bringing kids in and the brothers and sisters living together and sort of singing songs like the Von Trapp Family in 'The Sound of Music,' which I never even seen, but I understand they're very happy, aren't they? But, then learning no no no no no, it's way more complex. You know, these are people's lives. And we need to be able to have them land on their feet when they age out, etc. And and there's so much involved in this, and it's a beautiful model. It's incredible. And it's amazing that it hasn't happened before. It was amazing to me that I didn't know the L.A. County has more foster kids than anywhere else in the United States. Why wasn't I helping those kids? You know, when I started this, I had a beautiful three year old daughter, she's now in college. Got a nine year old son. You know, I couldn't bear imagining if we weren't around, and they would have to be split up. And so, when I learned that, I said, all right, we got it. We got to do something. And, it takes a long time getting things like this done, but thank God we came across Kathryn Barger and, the Palmdale, leadership in the community who said we want and need you here, and we need them as well. And I'm really honored to be a part of that."
3. Various Together California graphics and images
4. Wide of land
5. Wide groundbreaking photo opp with politicians, community leaders and donors
6. Medium Bale poses for photos
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Bale, actor-Together California co-founder:
"And maybe this is the first one, and maybe this is the only one, and that would be great. But I'm quietly hoping that there'll be many of these. And I want Angelenos and everyone living in the county to come get involved and open our eyes, you know, see it as it is that our kids are not being taken good enough care of. And hopefully it starts right here."
STORYLINE:
Christian Bale broke ground Wednesday on a project he’s been pursuing for 16 years -- the building of a dozen homes and a community center in Los Angeles County intended to keep siblings in foster care together.

The Oscar winner stood with a grin and a shovel full of dirt alongside local politicians and donors in the decidedly non-Hollywood city of Palmdale, 60 miles (80 kilometers) north and across the San Gabriel Mountains from Los Angeles.

But Bale, who was Batman in director Christopher Nolan's “Dark Knight” trilogy, wasn't just playing Bruce Wayne and lending his name and money to a charitable cause.

The project was his brainchild and one he's long lent his labor to, getting his hands dirty and on Wednesday standing in actual mud after a historic storm on a hard-won site he'd visited many times before.

"I would have done it all if it was just me by myself here," Bale told The Associated Press in an interview on the large vacant lot between a public park and a bowling alley.

The British-born Bale has lived in California since the early 1990s and sought to build the community after hearing about the huge number of foster children in LA County, and learning how many brothers and sisters had to be separated in the system.

[omarelassal]

This is just amazing!
Once children lose their parents, they become the children of the society. About time someone steps in to claim their responsibility without being pressured to do so.
I am planning for a similar project in my society and everyone who understands their social responsibility should do whatever they can to fulfill a part of this responsibility.