Celebs Do Good Deeds for the Holidays

By Michael Lopez

The holidays aren't about wish lists, must-haves and Black Friday sales. The true spirit of the season is all about giving. And we are proud to report that many celebs are setting a fantastic example with their generosity and charity work.

Sure, Christina Aguilera has had a bumpy few months with all of her divorce drama, but the Burlesque star has donated her time, CDs and signatures to a United Nations World Food Auction benefitting hungry people around the globe.

Don Omar could have easily spent Thanksgiving at his east coast mansion counting the cash he made from Meet The Orphans. Instead, he went to the Isabella Geriatric Center in New York and served hot food to the community’s elderly residents. Rumor has it, he even got some 85-year-olds bumping to that new “Danza Kudoro” track!

Even Selena Gomez is getting in the spirit. Recently named UNICEF’s youngest ambassador ever, the Disney tween queen just held a sold-out concert with her band, The Scene, and donated all proceeds to the organization. When speaking about her charity work with Latina, Gomez said,

"Every day, 25,000 children die from preventable causes. I stand with UNICEF in the belief that we can change that number from 25,000 to zero."

Remember that Mexican telethon we told you about the other day? Ricky Martin wasn’t there just to run into an ex-novia. He actually donated his time, image and voice to the televised event, which earned more than $350,000 for children with disabilities.

Add to that Shakira’s champagne campaign to finance schools in Colombia, Gisele’s environmental workand Gustavo Dudamel’s mission to give kids musical instruments, and you’ve got some very charitable Latinos.

Now we have to ask ourselves: What are we doing to make a difference? We may not all have millions to work with, but we can donate our time and our efforts to help our communities. We can volunteer at local hospitals or homeless shelters, donate old clothing and toys, or just drop an extra quarter in the charity jar at the supermarket. Every little bit helps — and it may even make you feel better than getting that big wrapped gift from Santa.

What charitable organizations are you most passionate about? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Celebrities, Charity, Christina Aguilera, Don Omar, Health, Ricky Martin, Selena Gomez