In a move that's far from the glitz of Tinseltown, Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale has turned the soil of Palmdale, planting the seeds of hope for siblings in foster care with the groundbreaking of Together California. The initiative, a passion project 16 years in the making, aims to keep foster siblings united within its soon-to-be-constructed walls, as reported by ABC7.
Bale, a fixture in Hollywood since his youth, revealed at the event that the impetus for the project came from the staggering number of foster children in LA County, and the heartbreaking reality that many siblings end up separated in the system. The actor, who has called California home since the early '90s, acknowledged the complexity of the endeavor, adding, "I didn't think it was going to take that long," according to a CBS News interview.
The Palmdale project will include a 7,000-square-foot community center, positioned as the heartbeat of 12 foster homes. Together California, co-founded by Bale, his wife Sibi Bale, and Eric Esrailian, exemplifies an alternative foster care model that not only supports the children living there but also offers a communal safe haven and public resources for the local community. With an impressive 437,000 children in foster care across the country on any given day, this project is a beacon in the shadow of these statistics, as per ABC7's report.
Christian Bale, celebrated for gripping performances from Batman to boxer, has taken on the role of advocate and philanthropist in this real-life drama, "It's something that is incredibly satisfying for me, and I want to be involved every step of the way," he said, "Maybe this is the first one, and maybe this is the only one, and that would be great. But I'm quietly hoping that there'll be many of these." Bale expressed to CBS News. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and the people of Palmdale, a city with a pulsing need and willingness to be part of the solution, have warmly embraced the initiative. The forecasted completion date for the 12 homes, which are the foundation of Together California, is April 2025.
Bale's steadfast commitment, weathering challenges from finding the perfect location to navigating through a pandemic, has been the project's linchpin. Tim McCormick, head of the organization and the man Bale recruited after thorough research in Chicago, attested to the actor's unwavering dedication: "To his credit, through all sorts of challenges, COVID and everything else, he never gave up," he told CBS News. This sentiment reiterates the British-born actor's yearning to transform the fabric of foster care in California, and beyond.
