Paris Hilton Helps the Homeless — and Tweets About It

by Danny Jensen · 2010-10-22 08:00:00 UTC
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Is party girl Paris Hilton giving up her rock 'n' roll ways for a simpler life of community service? If her tweets are to be believed, then perhaps so. Known more for inspiring gossip rather than generosity, Paris lent a helping hand this week, along with her sister Nicky, by serving shepherd's pie to homeless youth at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles.

Never one to shy from the public eye, she also tweeted about her visit: "Spent all day with the kids downtown at The Rescue Mission Shelter. We had had such a great time."

Now, before we start retweeting about a complete celebrity conversion, I should point out that Paris' volunteerism comes as a result of a judge's order to complete 200 hours of community service following a recent cocaine bust. But to be honest, I care less about why she's helping out, than the fact that she is actually doing it and sharing it with the public (including her nearly three million Twitter followers).

Paris' nightlife antics might not make her an ideal role model, but her notoriety has the potential to heighten awareness about homelessness and hopefully inspire fans to emulate her positive pursuits.

Volunteering at homeless shelters seems to be the positive publicity booster of choice lately, with Paris joining the likes of Lindsey Lohan, Kanye West and Megan Fox. As fellow blogger Josie Raymond points out, if politicians joined along for the PR bender, we might begin to see some dramatic legislative action take place.

And while Paris' visit to the Rescue Mission may be currently court ordered, she's given some indication that her involvement may go beyond those 200 hours. In a recent interview with Radar Online, Paris admitted that she's growing out of the party scene and suggested that her volunteerism may have struck a true chord: "My community service is really important to me ... It's something I enjoy doing and it's important to give back." Rather than waste our energies on cynicism, let's instead look for ways that we can give back.

Oh, and since you're already logged on to Twitter to check out Paris' tweets, sign our petition to tell Twitter not to tolerate homeless-bashing.

Photo credit: Christopher Harte

Danny Jensen has written for TakePart.com and Intent.com and has volunteered with a variety of homeless organizations and school gardening programs.

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