Malibu actress, painter, mom and hostess-with-the-mostest Jane Seymour has something new on her list.
Her Open Hearts Foundation has just sponsored its Make a Senior Smile virtual volunteer special last weekend, on Sunday, Nov. 8.
In this season of thanks, people were invited to join volunteers from across the world in a virtual celebration.
They were asked to create a card, draw a picture, make a small craft or compose a nice note for seniors who continue to be isolated by COVID-19.
The foundation says, “This small act of kindness can go a long way to make our elders feel special this holiday season.”
The festivities also included a virtual wine tasting. Guests were invited to mark the holidays “with wine, family, gratitude, recipes and stories.” They were told to break out their best bottle or taste along with one of Jane’s JCB favorites including the pinot noir, sparkling rosé, chardonnay and the passion red blend. All bottles that were ordered came with a bonus—a portion of the proceeds went directly to the Open Hearts Foundation.
Although all of the organization’s in-person plans changed in March, every donation has been critical to COVID-19 response efforts impacting thousands in need across the world.
They included $12,000 in a grant to the Children of Inmates program, which helps with weekly groceries, cleaning and educational supplies.
“We are so grateful to the Open Hearts Foundation for their support of our Share-the-Love efforts to support children with incarcerated parents,” president Shellie Solomon said. “We are working hard to obtain these types of grants to grow our organization’s ability to help families struggling with food and education needs in the communities we serve.”
Jane’s hard work and generosity also provided a $5,000 grant to support Casa of El Paso, which serves abused and neglected children in its local welfare system.
Another $5,000 grant went to The Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach, which went directly to the Food for Kids food pantry.
Center president Sara Myers also showed her appreciation by saying, “We are so grateful for the generous grant support from the Open Hearts Foundation during this incredibly challenging time.”
Finally, the foundation provided a $10,000 grant to NAMI Central Texas to bring critical health support to parents and caregivers whose children are experiencing a mental health crisis, especially during this time of fear, stress and anxiety.
So, as you can see, Jane’s reach to give back goes far beyond Malibu. She sums it up this way: “Together we have been able to make our largest impact in this 10th anniversary year.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct information about Open Hearts Foundation’s total charitable giving this year, which totaled $284,550 to 22 organizations.