Many regard Christmas as the season of giving. But, for some big-hearted souls helping others is a year round effort. No surprise. However, when the big-hearted soul is also a big-name Hollywood star then it may be a shocker… to some. The following is the story of a Hollywood heavyweight who has made it his mission to help those less fortunate in a rather unique way… see if you are more stunned by who it is or what he’s doing.
Some know Jesse James as the host of TV’s “Monster Garage.” Others know him better as actress Sandra Bullock’s husband. But to dozens of homeless people James is simply known as: “the boss.” The 37-year-old more-than-just-a-handy-man is helping homeless people by offering them jobs at his Long Beach, California motorcycle shop West Coast Choppers.
“Long Beach has a homeless problem,” James recently told PEOPLE magazine. “I felt the need to step up and help because it wasn’t going to magically disappear.”
James says he decided to reach out to the homeless community last year when Project Achieve, an overnight emergency shelter, opened up across the street from his shop. Since then he has helped dozens of homeless people turn their lives around, including a man named Richard Sihock, a former warehouse worker who had been homeless for almost a year. According to James, Sihock is now making $8.50 an hour with the prospect of a raise, and is living in a one-bedroom apartment with his wife. And James generous spirit isn’t likely to dim anytime soon… he recently announced that he is planning to hire more people from the shelter.
“Not everyone has been as lucky as I have,” James says, “and it’s time for me to use the success I have been blessed with to help others in Long Beach.”
For those of you who know little about this man with the big heart, James started his custom-motorcycle business when he was 23 years old and later was tapped to star in “Monster Garage.” He married Bullock in July 2005. The couple shares a passion for charity work—you’ll remember Bullock made headlines when she wrote million-dollar checks to tsunami and Katrina relief efforts.
Related Articles:
Hollywood Stars Denying Pregnancy Rumors