Sela Ward's Prime Time

Sela Gives Back

Years ago Ward had a holiday tradition of dropping off presents for kids at a local Mississippi shelter. One time she met two young brothers who'd been removed from their home because of an abusive father. "Those boys had been through hell," she has said, "but they still had such promise in their faces." The encounter inspired her to open Hope Village for Children in Mississippi in 2000, where neglected kids aren't just housed and given the medical treatment they need but are also taught life skills. The center is funded half by the state and half by private funds. "We've had some great success stories -- some of our kids have become honor roll students," says Ward. "We help them get back on their feet." To learn more about Hope Village for Children, go to hopevillagems.org.

Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, December 2010/January 2011.