Yeardley Smith has donated a combined $1.14 million dollars to a couple of microfinance organizations. The idea behind microfinance is that poor countries harbor plenty of hard-working, would-be entrepreneurs who, with just a little bit of capital, can launch small businesses that will make them less poor. Smith jumped in with both feet:
Smith was first introduced to microfinance after seeing 2006 Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus on Oprah. Inspired to become actively involved, she traveled to Haiti, accompanied by Grameen Foundation president Alex Counts, to visit with women in remote villages to learn how microfinance and complementary health and literacy services improve the quality of life for them and their families.
“I’m greatly inspired by people who demonstrate initiative and perseverance. I saw with my own eyes how eager these women are to be self-sustaining and that the smallest bit of success can rebuild a person from the inside out,” said Smith.
Were I writing this as a newspaper lead I’d probably have to put in some horrible piece of dreck about how playing do-gooder Lisa has rubbed off on Smith. For example:
- “Voicing the charity minded Lisa Simpson all these years seems to have had an effect on actress Yeardley Smith who donated . . .”
- “Life imitating art? After lending her vocal talents to the animated Lisa Simpson for twenty years Yeardley Smith has brought a little bit of Lisa to the real world . . .”
- “Yeardley Smith has taken some of the money she made playing Lisa Simpson and put it towards a cause Lisa would like . . .”
Isn’t this post much better without that crap? I sure think so.
Update November 5th: Nailed it! Here’s the lead from John Zorabedian from the site The Daily Tell:
The actress Yeardley Smith seems to have the conscience of Lisa Simpson, the famously activist character she voices for the popular TV show The Simpsons.
This was not the most difficult thing to predict, but still, nailed it. Hopefully there will be more.
Tell Aaronson and Zykowski:
The Mob Has Spoken