Natalie Portman, actress extraordinare and vegan fashionista, can add more points to the cookie jar from me for being a supporter of one of my favorite social action organizations - Kiva! Kiva and GOOD Magazine hosted an event in NYC this week for over 350 people to bring awareness to Kiva’s mission to link up micro-lenders with micro-borrowers. They were joined by Portman, Adam Baruchowitz from Heeb Magazine, and documentary filmmaker Lee Hirsch.

Check out GOOD Magazine’s article about the event here, and to find out how to become a micro-lender for Kiva.

Our second installation of the TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is here give you the very best of Katie, Nicole, Giulia, Gina and Kerry! More blogs means more to love this Valentine’s Day week, and more social action means a healthier and happier world for everyone. Check out our most popular posts of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

5 Ways to Take Action and Get Action On Valentine’s Day

Top 10 Guilt-Free Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gifts: Show Your Valentine You Have a Heart

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Nicole:

Kiva: Microlending to Change Lives

Top 10 New Releases to Inspire Social Change

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Giulia:

Alicia Keys Uses Grammys to Help Keep a Child Alive

V-Day Celebrates Its 10 Year Anniversary!

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Gina:

Top 10 Movie Characters That Make A Difference

Art As Politics In “The Silence Before Bach”

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Kerry:

Tap Project Gets Donations Flowing For Safe Global Water

Levon Helms’ “Dirt Farmer” Wins Grammy Gold

Kiva, an inspiring microlending organization, is linking individual lenders like you and I to entrepreneurs in the developing world who are working toward lifting themselves out of poverty and achieving financial independence.

Kiva has teamed up with several other microfinance institutions, who’ve done a great job at selecting qualified entrepreneurs in countries all over the world, but who have trouble meeting the financial needs of so many people. Enter wonderful you! For as little as $25 you can sponsor an entrepreneur of your choice and help the world’s working poor to buy the necessary inventory and supplies they need to grow their businesses. Loans are paid back to you within approximately 6-12 months, and throughout the course of the loan you’ll receive email updates about the status of the entrepreneur you’ve sponsored.

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