Award-Winning Actress Toni Collette and Concern Worldwide U.S. Fight Poverty and Hunger with Holiday Gifts Campaign

NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and star of the hit film "Hitchcock," Toni Collette joined the international humanitarian organization, Concern Worldwide U.S., in a campaign to make a profound difference in the world's poorest communities through holiday shopping.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121128/DC20307)

"We so often receive gifts during the holidays that we don't need and will never use," said Ms. Collette. "Concern Gifts is a way to honor your family, friends, and colleagues with a gift that makes a profound impact on people who don't have even the most basic essentials, like food and clean water."

Concern Gifts is an online catalogue (gifts.concernusa.org) of items that can save and transform the lives of people living in extreme poverty. The gifts, which range from $12 for a piglet to $260 for skills training, all support Concern's health, education, HIV and AIDS, and livelihoods programs in 25 of the world's poorest countries.

"If each of us replaces just one item on our holiday shopping list with a Concern Gift, we can change the future for people, families, and communities trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty," said Ms. Collette. "It really is a gift that keeps on giving—where it's needed most."

You hear more from Toni Collette on how you can make a difference this holiday season in her PSA (http://vimeo.com/52887032). The PSA, directed and produced by Nick Haddow (nickhaddow.com), is part of an online campaign that Concern is rolling out in partnership with PHD Worldwide across a variety of influential websites, including AOL, Harper's Bazaar, BBC, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

"In my 30 years with Concern, working to rebuild lives devastated by disaster, war, and poverty, I have seen first-hand how something as simple as a goat can give a mother income to send her children to school and the opportunity for a better future," said Dominic MacSorley, Operations Director for Concern Worldwide U.S. "Transforming lives, that is what you are making possible when you buy a Concern Gift."

To purchase a Concern Gift on behalf of someone on your holiday shopping list, please visit gifts.concernusa.org.

About Concern Worldwide
Concern Worldwide is an international, non-governmental humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty, with more than 3,200 personnel working in 25 of the world's poorest countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Concern Worldwide targets the root causes of extreme poverty through programs in health, education, livelihoods and microfinance, HIV and AIDS, and emergency response, directly reaching more than 9.5 million people. For more information, please visit concernusa.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

PRESS CONTACT:
Crystal Wells
Communications Officer
212.557.8000 (o)/617.913.0794 (m)
[email protected]

SOURCE Concern Worldwide US