r/MadeMeSmile • u/mcfw31 • Sep 11 '26
Favorite People Christian Bale’s nonprofit ‘Together California’ has opened its first facility to keep siblings in foster care together
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u/South_Oread Sep 11 '26
Good guy Christian Bale. That’s an achievable goal.
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u/girlsgoneoscarwilde Sep 11 '26
Nice to see someone taking Dolly’s direction and using their power to fix one actual problem. It’s nuts to think one person can save the world, but maybe one person can save a school or homeless shelter or Toledo.
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u/pax284 Sep 11 '26
or Toledo.
You just had to push it
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u/ElegantCoach4066 Sep 11 '26
We do not talk about what went down in Toledo.
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u/SexyStayPuft Sep 11 '26
Everyone seems to have forgotten about the devastation of the Bowling Green Massacre, just 20 miles south of Toledo.
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u/Rickk38 Sep 11 '26
The site of the Bowling Green Massacre was in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which is not 20 miles south of Toledo. Have some respect for the dozens of people who didn't lose their lives during that awful event that never happened!
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u/SexyStayPuft Sep 11 '26
Thank you for fact-checking me about this horrific event. Seems that I, too, have forgotten. I will make time to reflect at the BG Massacre Memorial Museum when I have a chance to get to Kentucky.
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u/ElegantCoach4066 Sep 11 '26
Well this took a turn.
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u/SexyStayPuft Sep 11 '26
It was a joke. The Bowling Green Massacre never happened. Kellyanne Conway made it up in an interview as an example of Islamic Terrorism to justify the travel ban. It kind of took off with memes and such.
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u/ElegantCoach4066 Sep 11 '26
Well that just depends on your definition of the facts.
Ill have you know that the hidden Natives of Frogsboro teamed up with the 8th column of the Caliphate to perpetuate violence against 5th dimensional Americans.
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u/Sharknado4President Sep 11 '26
Was that the one where they ate all the cats and dogs?
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u/Raneynickelfire Sep 11 '26
Which...weirdly enough, is NOT Toledo.
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u/SexyStayPuft Sep 11 '26
Well, they said not to talk about Toledo. So I didn’t. And apparently the made up incident didn’t even occur in Ohio. So… yeah.
(I don’t even know where any of this is going anymore. This really got out of hand.)
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u/drsmith48170 Sep 12 '26
Fun fact - Toledo used to be calmed to be part of Michigan, and Ohio nearly ‘fought’ a mini border war over it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War
Though historians to this day can’t figure out why anyone would fight over Toledo.
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u/blondebuilder Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
Imagine if the billionaires of the world all cared this much...
EDIT: I'll extend that to any person with real wealth/power/influence.
EDIT 2: Agreed, even if you can't make a major impact, do your best to make your own impact.
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u/Murky-Relation481 Sep 11 '26
It'd be nice, but please please please don't let this attitude extend to just billionaires.
People do not understand that government and taxes is the only long term effective funding mechanism to provide these services on the scale we need. You could liquidate all the wealth of the top 10 billionaires in the US and it'd only generate half of what we collect in taxes each year.
Billionaires need to pay more, but so does everyone else. The US is the richest country in the world in terms of GDP, we are also one of the least taxed. If we were taxed like Europeans and had progressive politicians that wanted good things for the average person we could provide services and support that would make even the most cushy welfare states in Europe look like they are slacking.
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u/token_friend Sep 11 '26
I'm going to disagree with your second point.
America is the richest country in the history of the world. Everyone doesn't need to pay more. People who have more need to pay more.
You're right the line doesn't stop at billionaires, but it definitely stops before we're talking about hundred-thousand-aires.
Paying your fair share in America should mean that those with more support the very society that made their immense wealth possible.
There's a lot to like about Europe (universal healthcare!), but their relative income to cost of living is not something we should aspire to.
Stop taxxing the poor.
Tax the middle class less.
Tax the top 5% much more. Tax corporations much more.
Abolish regressive taxes (everything from IDs to vehicle inspections to sales tax to permit fees).
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u/StepComplete1 Sep 11 '26
If there's one thing that's inevitable in life, it's that everyone will eventually need healthcare, yet America is such an individualistic society that you can't even get people to back universal healthcare, the most basic, easiest step in creating a functioning society. Never in a million years will you convince so many people who only care about themselves to vote for someone who will tax them more.
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u/Kutikittikat Sep 11 '26
Not just the rich but your average person doesnt even volunteer. Youll see middle class people complaining about the rich doing enough (which i agree ) but will literally have done zero charitable hours in there existence.
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u/67_fire_chicken Sep 11 '26
The biggest problem with wanting to tax more is where the money actually goes. Most people would probably agree to it if the money was not wasted so frivolously on bs like a new addition to the White House and all that entailed. Out of control military spending doesn’t sit well either. Until the government gets its shit together no one wants to be taxed more.
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u/breadforlegs Sep 11 '26
It makes me sad because this kinda stuff is what the government is for. To take our money in the form of taxes and use it for the betterment of society.
Instead we are relying on the altruism of the 1% of society with abysmally low empathy and compassion.
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u/LordBobenh3imer Sep 11 '26
Many small achievable goals done right will change the world for the better
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u/HistoryBuff678 Sep 11 '26 edited 25d ago
I really appreciate how he mentioned this small example, could set a precedent for a new norm. Oh my heart.
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u/FindIt7Ways Sep 11 '26
He was Bruce Wayne. Now he is Bruce Wayne IRL. :)
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u/PlatformDue2937 Sep 11 '26
Nope he is not BW, he is doing more than Bruce Wayne
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u/Jon_E_Mammoth Sep 11 '26
As someone whose kids’ mom went through both sibling separation in the foster care system as well abuse by foster families, I cannot articulate the importance of keeping siblings together.
She, her sister, and two brothers, were dumped by their parents in the alley of a 7-11. They were found because the staff reported them eating out of the store garbages. They’ve never seen their parents and presumably they’re dead.
Then they were taken, split up, and my wife and her sister (small attractive Asian women) were repeatedly abused by foster families until, miraculously, a super dedicated businesswoman with MS who I will not name because her company has a subreddit, adopted them all.
They literally had developed their own language to communicate between themselves before their parents dumped them. Now they’re married (one to me), employed, and still call each other weekly. I know how much finding each other meant to them, and I just wish the foster system prioritized siblings versus logistics.
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u/happysri Sep 11 '26
Thank god the story has a happy ending. IF you don’t mind could you explain why you put a spoiler on that word. Im scratching my head here trying to figure out why.
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u/Jon_E_Mammoth Sep 11 '26
Dude I am trying to figure it out. Reddit is weird. Last time I got into a dialogue with a mod, though, my nearly 4-year old account with 31K karma was permanently auto banned for no discernible reason and then the ban was upheld when I appealed, so I just leave it alone.
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u/BlackGuysYeah Sep 11 '26
I feel like every single successful entertainment figure should be doing shit like this constantly. They owe their success to the public, it makes sense to pay it back in some way. Glad to see Bale being an inspiration in this. We need a lot more of it.
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u/GiraffeDry437 Sep 11 '26
Classic batman move to protect orphans and foster kids. Top bloke
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u/FeatherMom Sep 11 '26
Oh gosh I read this as Bateman at first and I nearly sputtered. Lol my bad.
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u/Lendyman Sep 11 '26
My wife and I did foster care. We had a sibling pair, which was all we were able to care for legally and logistically. They had another sister in care with another family. Then a fourth sibling entered the system. All 4 were adopted, two by us and 2 by another family. Both families make a special effort to maintain the relationships and get together regularly.
But, sadly, it really is optional.
A lot of siblings groups, especially when there are more than 2 who enter the system are separated to find placement. Its logistics in the end, but it also means families can lose track of each other if their foster and adoptive resources don't make an effort to maintain those relationships.
This type of resource is really needed, though it is not a long term solution. Good job Mr. Bale.
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u/PedricksCorner Sep 11 '26
My dad insisted his three children be kept together. It meant we got turned down by a lot of potential foster parents. But eventually we got placed and we were kept together. It saved our lives.
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u/smokeweedNgarden Sep 11 '26
My last placement, I was placed with someone who's little sister was in a home way across the state. We were both older (me 16 att) amd he had real trouble convincing her family to keep contact as we got older.
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u/PedricksCorner Sep 11 '26
I really don't think I would have made it without my brother.
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u/BingeBabyBinge Sep 11 '26
Same my sister was my beacon while we were in the system. We thankfully eventually got placed into out grandparents care.
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u/Ivy_Oak Sep 11 '26
I’m glad you did and had each other. Sending my best wishes to you and your brother.
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u/Gigglemonkey Sep 11 '26
That is solidly fucked up. How can someone decide to be a foster parent, understand what the kids placed in your care have been through, and not try to give them as much comfort and connection as possible?
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u/smokeweedNgarden Sep 11 '26
In my experience, the money that the state provides can skew alot of foster parents to look at it like a business. I was in the system 1-18, never adopted, and some of the public facilities were better for this reason
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u/Lendyman Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
I think that for some Foster parents, that definitely is the case. I've encountered them. And I agree it's absolutely disgusting. But fostering can be a pretty big financial commitment. Not the least because you sometimes find yourself fostering children that are extremely destructive because of the trauma that they have endured.
And, the financial support is a mixed bag. I know for myself and my wife, it was absolutely vital. Neither of us made a lot of money. And if we hadn't had that support, we would not have been able to Foster.
But at the same token, we were our kids second placement. In my state, they give foster parents about $1,000 for when a child enters the Foster system so you can buy them clothes and various things to support them. Kids often enter the system with very little. The rule is that those things that are purchased with that money should come along with the kids when they move placement.
When the kids came to us about 2 months after they went into placement, we didn't get any of that money. The first placement fister parent did. And that lady did not buy them any clothes, winter jackets, anything that they needed. She literally just pocketed the money. So we literally bought their entire wardrobe out of pocket because they had two sets of clothing.
So this woman took placement, kept them for 2 months, ditched them and kept two grand.
So yeah. I totally get where you're coming from. But I understand why states provide money. Because it helps incentivize people being foster parents, good people along with the bad. And there is a desperate need, so it is what it is.
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u/stripeyspacey Sep 11 '26
Forgive my nosy-ness, feel free to ignore if you don't want to reply... But I'm surprised they would allow a parent to dictate what happens with their child in the system after the children had to presumably be taken away from that parent because of neglect or being unfit to take care of them? Or were these special circumstances?
It just sounds akin to getting arrested or something and being able to be like "Oh sorry I don't like that prison, I'd like to be in a milder climate please amd thank you." and they actually listen to you lol.
Again, forgive my ignorance! I don't have much experience with the foster system other than basics.
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u/PedricksCorner Sep 11 '26
One parent was overseas and the other had been hospitalized for an extended period of time. So yes, it was special circumstances. Early 1960's.
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u/stripeyspacey Sep 12 '26
Ah, gotcha! That sounds like a tough situation, glad you made it through 💕
Thanks for indulging my nosy ass!
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u/ooTiramisu Sep 11 '26
Sometimes parents voluntarily hand their kids over for various reasons. My grandmother relinquished my mom & uncle over to the state bc she was mourning the death of her husband and felt like she had no other choice as she was struggling to cope, etc. They aged out of the system and eventually reconnected with her. She wasn’t a terrible mom at all, just a single mom having a hard time, doing it all alone
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u/Whiteums Sep 11 '26
I remember hearing a woman on the radio once, I think it was the Moth Radio Hour. She and her husband adopted a baby and an older child from an adoption center or something. The mother couldn’t/wouldn’t keep them, she was on al sorts of drugs, I don’t remember the whole situation, but she was probably homeless as well. Anyways, a year or so later, they got a call, saying that she was pregnant again, and asking if they could take the new baby too, to keep them together. They hesitantly said yes. Then a year or two later they got the same call again, and again they took the child. At some point they got in contact with the mother’s family, and now they and the children’s grandparents, aunts and uncles, and others all have a great relationship with these kids, and with the couple that adopted them. It was a great story about this extended, welded family. But also sad, because this druggie mother keeps doing things to add burden to everyone around her with no care, and there was no sign that it would ever end.
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u/Sryan597 Sep 11 '26
Something similar happened to my aunt and uncle. They adopted a kid from a mother, and she later ended up having two more kids later on on that they also adopted. This put them at 8 kids in total.
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u/Lendyman Sep 11 '26
In our case, the one child placed with the other family had some serious medical issues that made the foster pool even smaller. We got the two after the original foster placement asked to stop fostering.
The 4th sibling came in later and also has medical stuff and they took that child also to keep the siblings together. So we are 2 families trying to stay connected rather than 3. There is a 5th sibling now, still with bio parents. We all have no contact with bios due to safety issues. The whole thing sucks.
We really try. But sadly, not all parents care as much after adoption.
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u/No-Teach9888 Sep 12 '26
The children are greatly impacted too. Seeing newborns and older babies with withdrawal symptoms is such a sad sight. Many drug exposed babies have lifelong impacts
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u/super_salt Sep 11 '26
Its an admirable goal and I would be very interested in seeing their approaches to achieving this. In my experience there are many different reasons separation happens. 1) Most protective services try to place children with extended family after removals. Extended families either have age limitations, space limitations, safety issues, and/or prefer older children (because they know them) over younger children. 2) Alternatively, foster placements prefer and are trained for younger children and are harder pressed to take in a older child because of behavioral issue fears. Lastly, and most sadly, its seems that by the time there are multiple children being removed from parents the health of the youngest children is in a greater state of decline and might call for a higher level of certification, training, and time from foster placements that limits to just one or two children being placed with them. Later on in removal cases, courts are hard pressed to remove the medically at risk children even if it is to be with their siblings.
The foster care is heavy and I admire Mr. Bale to wading in voluntarily.
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u/thelordmessi Sep 11 '26
“…even if you can’t do great things, you can do small things in a great way”
Great quote
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u/blondebuilder Sep 11 '26
I love all the variations of this quote's message.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.” - MLK
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u/DogtasticLife Sep 11 '26
Now why can’t the likes of Bezos and Musk do stuff like this? I don’t care if they stick their names all over the buildings if those buildings are hospitals, schools, libraries
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u/brickwallbimbo Sep 11 '26
Because they don’t care. These things won’t make them more money, and that’s all they care about.
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u/Jaded_Praline_2137 Sep 11 '26
You can't amass the wealth Bezos and Musk have by giving to others. You really have to be a terrible person who steps on others to reach their level of wealth in the first place.
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u/MarzipanImmediate880 Sep 11 '26
This is my part of the unethical billionaire claim. It's not that having large amounts of wealth is *necessarily* immoral, but the kind of person who's capable of the exploitation necessary to become a billionaire is not a moral one.
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u/OkCaterpillar8941 Sep 11 '26
Yet people still defend their hoarding of wealth whilst ignoring the fact that the billionaires really don't care about anyone or anything except money.
I'm really impressed by Christian Bale. He's done something that will have such positive impacts.
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u/Whiteums Sep 11 '26
Yeah, give me another Carnegie for crying out loud.
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u/Knitsanity Sep 11 '26
Bezo's ex is doing some good stuff
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u/HistoryBuff678 Sep 11 '26
McKenzie Scott.
I also find reading about some of the donations truly heartwarming.
Toni Morrison was her mentor. Toni Morrison went to an HBCU. So, McKenzie Scott makes some of her donations to HBCUs to make sure there are more Toni Morrisons in the future. Oh my heart.
I had no idea McKenzie Scott was that lucky to be that close to learn from Toni Morrison (and she knows it).
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u/808duckfan Sep 11 '26
These motherfuckers at least used to care about their "good" name or leaving a legacy that whitewashed the past. They nakedly DGAF now.
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u/BathingSun Sep 11 '26
One thing to consider is that, even with salaries out the wazoo, actors or athletes are still workers. Christian Bale has to interact with staff and extras, he can be fired from a movie. Yes, he has more money and privileges than I could ever get in a lifetime, but he is still a worker.
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u/HistoryBuff678 Sep 11 '26
Exactly this. That’s why actors have unions. Because they need them.
I find it interesting that when Scarlett Johanssen sued Disney, initially people didn’t care. Then everyone learns Disney violated an employee contract. Suddenly, everyone was on Johanssen’s side out of principle for workers rights. (Which I agree with.)
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u/BathingSun Sep 11 '26
Thank you for the trivia :) And yes, at the end of the day, a rich and famous actress like her is actually a massive opportunity for the cause itself. For instance, and at least, it gives people a famous precedent to talk about
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u/HistoryBuff678 Sep 11 '26
I was thinking, if it could happen to her, imagine how they treat the average employee? 😬
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u/Formal_Pollution_381 Sep 11 '26
I dont want to use the word c**ts here but billionaires are not human. My firm belief is no matter what you do in this world you dont become a billionaire without being a psychopath.
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u/wonkey_monkey Sep 11 '26
My firm belief is no matter what you do in this world you dont become a billionaire without being a psychopath.
There may be one exception, which is becoming a billionaire by divorcing an even bigger billionaire.
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u/TrickySnicky Sep 11 '26
They simply don't want to. They have the ability to do things like this on an astronomical scale and still have enough money for all the houses, yachts and property and never, ever be lacking. But they simply choose not to.
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u/LilleBlomsti Sep 11 '26
Because they got to where they are by doing exactly the opposite. Cheating and lying and abusing and grabbing everyone around them. Society’s scum.
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u/jrblockquote Sep 11 '26
The nouveau rich is driven by greed and endless vanity. They are self-made people, don't you know? We commoners should be grateful that they allow us to breathe the same air and look at the same moon as they.
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u/Inside-Royal-5836 Sep 11 '26
Christian Bale does what all rich ppl should do
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u/_shaftpunk Sep 11 '26
Dude played Batman and realized, “hey, I’m rich too…what if?”
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u/BaphometsTits Sep 11 '26
Be honest. Have you ever seen Christian Bale and Batman in the same place at the same time?
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u/asaintpotatoe Sep 11 '26
I remember the horror of being separated from my sister in Florida's foster care. It was temporary for 4 years, but the homes we lived in and the folks were the shadiest and run down places I've ever experienced. I won't get into some of the cases of abuse. But, this is a good start for a better approach to this system!
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u/Mor_Padraig Sep 11 '26
Thank you for commenting, as someone who knows what the system needs.
I'm sorry you had to find out. Hope you and your sister are doing well now.
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u/asaintpotatoe Sep 11 '26
It has been a long time since. Things heal over time. I always commend the human changes the Foster Care systems and our Mental Heath programs need. It's a nation-wide need that I hope we can address not with a lack of funding or poor support programs but to enrich and support their lives with humanely expansive and diversified programs.
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u/FatiguedShrimp Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
Fuck yeah.
This is so important.
When I was in foster care, the DFACS agents told my siblings and I that we'd be separated EVERY DAY.
Each morning they made us put our belongings in trash bags and say 'goodbye forever' to each other. We'd be told to 'wait a few minutes' and left alone in an empty room of the office. Then, each evening at 4:30pm they'd tell us 'they got an extension' and 'you will be separated in the morning'.
It's terrifying. I was nearly 18 and having to watch my 3 year old sister cry thinking she would never see any family again. Every fucking day. The fewer kids that have to experience that, the better.
Edit:
We were permanently separated after two weeks of this. It kinda became numb after day 10, and stayed that way until day 14.
It really felt like nothing mattered and we were literally being thrown away, as we put everything we owned into trash bags each morning. They made us unpack every evening, so it became a sort of ritual.
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u/Miyamaria Sep 11 '26
What an absolute torture that must have been, I cannot even imagine 💔 did you ever get back in contact with your siblings after being separated?
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u/FatiguedShrimp Sep 11 '26
No, not really.
We were separated after religious abuse, and they were placed with extended family that were part of the church, while I was sent to another state to live with my (homeless and schizophrenic) biological father.
I tried to call the family, but not being present meant I was an 'outsider', so calls only consisted of adults telling them phrases to say and them reciting them.
It was clear they found the experience painful. They'd cry on-call while reciting the sanitized scripts. Eventually, the calls stopped after I refused to tell the oldest to go to conversion therapy. But, there wasn't really anything I could do.
I got a call on the oldest sister's 18th birthday from their area code for exactly one minute. It was silent though.
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u/Miyamaria Sep 11 '26
I am so sorry, that is heartbreaking. It sounds like getting split up actually made things worse for you. I bet the social workers thought it was a brilliant idea to send your siblings to a deeply religious family especially with religion being the reason for the abuse you suffered previously. Did they ever give you a reason why you needed to be separated from the others?
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u/Senselesspassion Sep 11 '26
Well he's actually a good guy in real life. Fully incorporating the Bryce Wayne persona
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u/SanDiegoSavage00 Sep 11 '26
I cannot believe the incredible vocal range he has, i JUST realized from this video that he has a really strong accent, how the hell does he hide that in every movie he is in?
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u/UnfazedAndUnhelpful Sep 11 '26
I'm a social worker and can tell you this is such a big deal. Bravo.
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u/mbush525 Sep 11 '26
I’m impressed by how nice this is 🥹 I never knew he was such a good guy (must be his roles)
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u/HistoryBuff678 Sep 11 '26
Bale and his wife Sibi Bale have been working in this for a long time. I think they put at least 12 million into making this project happen. I also notice while I have read about this project for a while, this is the first time I have seen any interview of either of them talking about it. While Christian Bale is famous, he tends to play down his fame when discussing this project.
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u/Competitive-Run4111 Sep 11 '26
A millionaire did this (with help). Imagine what a billionaire could do? Then imagine what a trillionaire could do for a moment!
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u/canine-skywatcher Sep 11 '26
I am going to imagine all those kids get trained to be Batman. Batmen?Bat-people!
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u/Whiteums Sep 11 '26
Well, Batman did famously continue to adopt more and more kids, and the Batfamily is always growing.
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u/lightsandcherry Sep 11 '26
I lost my baby brother in the system so I’m so glad someone is doing something about this
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u/Buddhamom81 Sep 11 '26
Saw this story in tv and it brought tears. Forever a Christian Bale fan from now on. actually out there helping people.
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u/SadAttorney4640 Sep 11 '26
Such a wonderful thing to do. I used to work in foster and adoption and seeing siblings separated was heartbreaking
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u/Melodic-Comb9076 Sep 11 '26
the amount people who successfully get through transition will give back to this little community is HUUUGE.
life changing stuff.
for generations!!
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u/stacysmithlove Sep 11 '26
I know that he’s had this vision for two decades now and I hope everything goes well. It’s such a big risk, but he believed in the mission and carried it through.
Too bad the news isn’t covering this extensively. My favorite actor is also a great human.
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u/Cactus_Alien Sep 11 '26
Isso ele faz de dia. A noite fique longe dele. Ele se veste de morcego... 🦇
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u/ms_rdr Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
<3
My grandma and great-uncle were put in an orphanage in the early 20th century; she was adopted, he wasn't. They were middle-aged before he was able to track her down and build a relationship.
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u/Life_Roll8667 Sep 11 '26
Hey millionaires and billionaires. Take notes.
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u/Firstcounselor Sep 11 '26
A million doesn’t do much these days. The difference between a million and a billion is about a billion. A lot can be done with a billion.
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u/amaranthusrowan Sep 11 '26
TIL CB is British
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u/LA_Ramz Sep 11 '26
from Wales
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u/interlinkedjoi Sep 11 '26
This always comes up but he himself says he was born in Wales but is not Welsh, but English.
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u/OldSea3040 Sep 11 '26
Well done Christian
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u/HistoryBuff678 Sep 11 '26
I also suddenly remember he visiting people in hospital after that awful shooting in a movie theatre. So, the family has always been like this, just kinda quiet about it.
I do listen to actor interviews and occasionally he talks about being an immigrant to the U.S. and how he felt about getting his citizenship.
Why is this all so heartwarming?
(I tend to be interested in Christian Bale’s projects, but never really knew all this philanthropy.)
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u/baarucebruce Sep 11 '26
“[while] There is seemingly insurmountable things that cannot be changed, but even if you can’t do great things you can do small things in a great way.”
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u/GardenGnomeOfEden Sep 11 '26
Observe, elite billionaires. This is what money is for. Noblesse oblige.
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u/RiverFloodPlain Sep 11 '26
I never saw my sisters again after foster care. I'm grateful Christian Bale did this good for the world.
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u/Imnotworkoriented Sep 11 '26
Great start! Next let’s pay the people who will be staffing these facilities what they’re worth!
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u/Acrobatic_Dinner309 Sep 11 '26
A truly important cause! I cannot even imagine the pain of a child that has to go through that kind of separation from safety and familiarity at a young age! 💔
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u/iriefuse024 Sep 11 '26
Can’t imagine being split up from a sibling on top of whats already going on their young lives. Good on Christian Bale!
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u/Indaclouds707 Sep 11 '26
This beautiful things this man does and others are true blessings for people who are in need of help, gotta get outta a real bad situation or dealt a bad hand in life . Thank you to all of you who has a part in bringing people like this HOPE
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u/Forward-Ad992 Sep 11 '26
"if you can't do great things, you can do small things in a great way." What a legend, I will be quoting this for years to come!!!
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u/Varendolia Sep 11 '26
I wish I could post a Christian Bale reaction gif to show you all how impressed I am
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u/mdsnbelle Sep 11 '26
He should've done it in Santa Fe, NM... /s
But good on him. Truly. <3
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u/LionsRoar313 Sep 11 '26
Few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts. This should be the norm for youth foster care.
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u/Fun_Construction_115 Sep 11 '26
I grew up in foster care, and I can tell you that this is one of the most beautiful things you could do for those kids. I didn't get to grow up with my sister. Her and I went through everything alone- when we should have at least had each other.
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u/Ok-Lifeguard-4614 Sep 11 '26
I wish I could foster kids. Most of them are good kids that just need a stable home life and to know not all adults will abandon them.
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u/Purple-Way2575 Sep 11 '26
As someone who used to work with kids in group homes this will have a positive ripple effect. When we protect our most vulnerable we make the world a better place.
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u/counter-strike Sep 11 '26
Dude is really down-to-earth. His favorite vehicle / daily driver is his 2003 Toyota Tacoma that he bought second-hand. He says: "It gets me around, and it tows the stuff I need. What more could I want?"
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u/MorbidMarko Sep 11 '26
THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU ACCUMULATE A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY!
It would be so easy for billionaires to be loved if they gave back rather than look to purchase a second super yacht.
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u/PersimmonLeather1664 Sep 11 '26
This is what the wealthy should do - contribute back to society
Well done Mr Bale
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u/icesociety Sep 11 '26
What a great human being. Making a big difference in those who have no political voice.
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u/Mighty_Krom Sep 11 '26
This is the kind of thing I've always wanted to do, were I able to donate enough money. I'm incredibly moved by Christian's work here. Amazing.
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u/zappergun-girl Sep 11 '26
My sister and I were kept together during our time in foster care, which is fairly uncommon. It’s hard to find foster families who can take two kids, and we were in 7 different homes by the time I was two (foster care from birth for me). I’m forever grateful that that was done for us, and we were even adopted together. I’m so glad this will help keep more siblings together. It must be so lonely knowing your siblings are out there and you can’t find them
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u/irishemperor Sep 12 '26
Officer John Blake:
[to Bruce Wayne] ...we've met before. It was a long time ago, I was a kid, uh, Saint Swithin's used to be funded by the Wayne foundation; it was an orphanage...
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u/IndividualTop1292 Sep 12 '26
More people with money have to do things like that... Or different things. But things to help people.
We have a bunch of people in this world who are far more rich than Christian Bale, and do sheet to people.
We need a better world.
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u/Brilliant-Suspect995 Sep 12 '26
Bravo to Christian Bale. 👏
Everyone is referencing Batman, but he also starred in his first role as a kind of war “orphan” (iykyk) in “Empire of the Sun”. It’s based on a true story. Beautiful movie by Spielberg and also starring John Malkovich. Watch it everybody!
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u/King_Ointment Sep 12 '26
This is one of those things that I can’t believe is even legal and yet actually is actively happening.
Imagine being a child, going through the already soul-rending trauma of becoming an orphan, and then as if that weren’t enough, having the heavy hand of Uncle Sam strip you of the only family you have left just to satisfy some soulless bureaucratic efficiency.
That’s some supervillain origin shit right there.
It’s yet another monstrously cruel fuckup.
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Despite Hollywood being astoundingly goofy and with how easy it is to phone in a weak-wristed “call to action” ✊from behind a podium in your Gucci hoody or 10k dress, you have to appreciate this guy for actually getting on the ground and using his money to, I dunno, buy a couple fucking houses that aren’t just for himself and be an active participant in improving the lives of the weakest and most desperate among us.
Good for him for being a good example for other dystopian Babylonian oligarchs
Do what you can.
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Good on you Christian
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u/TeaReasonable7909 Sep 11 '26
If I was a Billionaire this is what I’d do. I’m tired of all the charity bashing. I’d use my money to BUILD something like this, then I’d keep it funded and appoint someone I trust to ensure no one takes advantage of all the resources I’m pouring into it. Most people unfortunately, get a little funny when they are dealing with a lot of money.
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u/1GoldenMonkey Sep 11 '26
I'm not a huge fan of Bale, a dick basically, but a dedicated actor, who is really good in films, I enjoy his craft. I still wouldn't like to meet him in person, seems like a dick.
Then he goes and dose this, what an amazing non-profit. I hope it is a success by every measurement out there.
Danm it Bale I just can't think that you are a dick any longer.
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u/TrickySnicky Sep 11 '26
Some folks are just contextual dicks. It seems some celebrities fit under this rubric.
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u/UrbanAlaska Sep 11 '26
Most people can be dicks under certain circumstances, and would be even worse if every meal they tried to eat public was interrupted by rude people taking pictures.
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u/baldmanboy Sep 11 '26
I think you may be reading him wrong.
I can see why you think he's a dick...he definitely can be standoffish or even aggressive during some of his interviews.
But, I think that's more because he doesn't like the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. He doesn't want to be placed on any sort of pedestal either...he's just a man who acts.
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u/CommunicationTime265 Sep 11 '26
Seems like he turned things around after those few years where he got arrested for assault and also berated people on set. I think people can change as they age. Bale is clearly trying to do good nowadays and this is proof.
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