This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Ben Affleck announced today that he'd be joining the Live Below the Line challenge. The actor will be living off of $1.50 a day for five days in hopes of illustrating the experience of the 1.4 billion people currently living in extreme poverty across the globe.
According to the L.A. Times, Affleck isn't the only one in Hollywood who's having a go at it.
"British star Tom Hiddleston (memorable as the evil Loki in "The Avengers," as well as other movies) wasn't shy about sharing what $1.50 meant for him. He tweeted the makeup of his meals while completing the Live Below the Line challenge earlier this month. His meals included an omelet with kidney beans, as well as rice, vegetables and one-third of a jar of Uncle Ben's curry sauce. He finished up the challenge with 'boiled rice + veg' for dinner, saying that he was counting his blessings."
But of course this isn't an issue that's just impacting Africa. As the film "A Place at the Table" illustrated, there's an alarming amount of hunger happening right here in the US, particularly amongst children. 50 million Americans, a quarter of which are children, go to bed hungry at night. So there's a lot to be thankful for, and a lot to change, right here on our home turf.
