Shelley Morrison

Shelley Morrison has been acting for the past 52 years. She’s most well known recently for her part as Rosario Salazar on the series Will and Grace, but she’s currently working on an animated series for Disney called Handy Manny and she and her husband are producing a documentary entitled “Weaving the Past -- A Journey of Discovery” about her husband’s grandfather and his early participation in the Mexican revolution.

We had a chance to talk to Shelley about her charitable work.

GoodSearch: What are the causes you care about most?

Shelley: I am very involved with Project Angel Food in Los Angeles which provides meals for 2500 people with AIDS a day. Teenagers today think they’re bulletproof and we need to get AIDS education out.

I also care deeply about animals because they have no advocates. I know that people need to eat meat because either they like it or for health reasons, so the Farm Sanctuary is helping to educate people on how to slaughter animals humanely. Animals need people who care about them.

In addition, I’m a cancer survivor and involved with the Susan G Komen Foundation. We are so close to creating so many cutting edge ways to treat breast cancer so the side effects are not so horrific. We need five billion dollars for research.

And finally, I’m involved with the National Resources Defense Council because everything today is academic if we don’t address global warming.

GoodSearch: Do you think celebrities have a responsibility to support causes?

Shelley: I’ve been blessed. I’m 71 years old. I have an incredible family and an incredible husband and have lived in the same house for 61 years. I hope that what little celebrity I may have will inspire others to say, “Hey, what can I do?” If everyone did something once a month – write a letter, send a donation, volunteer – wouldn’t that be amazing?

GoodSearch: As you know, that is what we’re trying to do here.

Shelley: And god bless you for being there. We are all working towards healing the planet, not destroying it.