Hollywood actor Christian Bale, famous for his role as Batman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, recently demonstrated another act of heroism off-camera.
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The Academy Award winner on Friday opened Together California, a $22 million foster care facility designed to keep siblings together.
Together California spans 11,000 square feet and includes 12 furnished homes, including two studio apartments for those transitioning out of foster care.
Los Angeles has one of the highest populations of children in foster care, with over 30,000 children in the system. Organizers said Together California will offer programs focused on stability and support while providing a loving community for children in the system.
"A place where everyone is welcomed, a place that keeps families together, a place that creates community, a place where you can find hope in the most challenging of times," Together California Executive Director Tim McCormick said in a statement to the local outlet.
Organizers credited multiple donors for making the project a reality.
The Austrian American Council West helped raise nearly $9 million for the effort.
"Perhaps the greatest legacy we can leave is not that our names will be remembered, but that children's lives are better because we cared," said Austrian American Council West President Veronika Reinelt.
Christian Bale Explains Goal of New Foster Care Village
Bale hopes that the non-profit's structure sets a precedent for future foster care homes.
"We want to get this one right. If we prove the concept here, maybe this becomes the norm throughout America," Bale told CBS Los Angeles.
The "Dark Knight Rises" star added that he hopes the organization provides a brighter future for children in foster care.
"[Together Califronia] is getting kids prepared. So they don't end up incarcerated. So they don't end up homeless. We want them to understand that people care and that they love them. We've got patience for them. There is hope for their future," Bale told the outlet.
Together California is based in Palmdale, California, roughly an hour drive from Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger believes the project will be a game-changer for local foster care children.
"Keeping siblings in foster care together in quality environments will undoubtedly bring life-changing stability to some of our most vulnerable youth," Barger said.
