George and Amal Clooney are making themselves at home in the south of France – and are already having a big impact on the local community.
Hollywood megastar George, who moved to the small town of Brignoles in the Var department in 2021, wasted no time meeting the local mayor and voicing his interest in helping a farm-to-table venture get off the ground. Mayor Didier Brémond told Paris Match about the exciting new venture, revealing George was keen to fund the project and offer long-term financial aid.
"George Clooney told me he wanted to help Brignoles, a bit like he did for Le Val during the flooding in 2021 by offering a cheque of 20,000 euros," he explained to the paper.
"I talked to him about my idea of a farm where we'd produce fruit and vegetables for schools in the commune. He accepted immediately."
The generous gesture referred to is George's financial aid following flash flooding in the neighbouring village of Le Val, which left residents without shelter.
The Ocean's Eleven star's 20,000 euro cheque helped give locals a roof over their heads for six months while reconstructive work took place on their homes.
George's farm project
Keen to make another positive impact on his new community, George now reportedly plans to back an eco-conscious, family-friendly project that would help provide 1,200 meals for school children daily.
The plan is for an outhouse, a greenhouse, and agricultural equipment to be installed on one of Brignoles' empty fields to create a fully sustainable farm-to-table operation.
The project is estimated to cost 200,000 euros and will include hiring a market gardener.
Mayor Didier Brémond told Paris Match: "We don't know how much George Clooney will be putting in, we're still discussing it, but it won't be a one-off fee for the kick-off, it'll be regular financial aid.
"He wants to follow the project on a long-term basis by buying seeds for us, for example. He's really interested in it because the farm will be a welcoming space aimed at helping young children learn."
The project will no doubt also benefit George and Amal's young children, six-year-old twins Ella and Alexander.
George and human rights lawyer Amal purchased their $8.3 million wine estate in the Medieval walled town of Brignoles in 2021 in a bid to lead a "peaceful life" with their young kids.
The children, who split their time between Lake Como, the US, the UK and now France, are already trilingual and are seemingly immersed in local culture, making the farm an attractive prospect for the family's future in Provence.
George and Amal's kind gestures
George's French philanthropy isn't the first time the pair have made a positive impact on the world.
Their charitable foundation, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, defends vulnerable people's human rights, including victims of oppressive governments, refugees seeking to rebuild their lives abroad, or children deprived of opportunities.
George has also spent decades campaigning on behalf of Sudanese people. The Sentry, his foundation's partner, focuses largely on the conflict zone spanning South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.
Their primary aim is tracking dirty money and making sure that kleptocrats, war criminals, and their international collaborators, pay.
The Clooneys also memorably donated $100,000 to three Lebanese charities including the Lebanese Red Cross, following a Beirut explosion in August 2020 that claimed the lives of over 145 people.
Amal's mother Baria Alamuddin previously told us that she's "immensely proud" of her daughter and son-in-law's kindness.
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She shared with HELLO!: "The world has a very short supply of kindness and empathy. Amal and George have these qualities in their DNA, their foundation, The Clooney Foundation for Justice serves in 40 countries, helping to bring justice and human rights to the most vulnerable.
"I am immensely proud. I know their kindness covers many other causes."