Natalie Portman has announced a new line of shoes in conjunction with Te Casan. The shoes, which are available for pre-order on January 15, are vegan and 5% of profits will be going to charity. Additional details are not available (such as price), but it comes as no surprise that Portman would consider entering this arena. The actress, though herself not a vegan in the food sense, has long made it a rule to purchase fashion that does not come from animals. [natalieportman.com via justjared]

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Spencer Pratt, and Ross McCall spent Christmas Eve volunteering at the Los Angeles Mission in downtown LA. “I have made it a point to come to the Los Angeles Mission at Christmas,” said the 28-year-old Hewitt. “There are so many hurting people on the streets of our city, but when I’m here I get to see the smiles of the children and the great food for everyone. I think they are getting real help from the staff and volunteers. I come to give something back, but invariably I get more blessing than I give.” [via tmz]

Finally, Spice Girl Melanie Brown avoided a potential PR bah humbug by agreeing to donate to charity a $20,000 fee she received as part of her participation in a Make-A-Wish foundation fundraiser. The singer had originally planned on taking the money for personal gain, but smartly did an about-face once she was critcized for the move. Said one source, “All Mel B did was sing a couple of Christmas songs, sign autographs and mingle in with the crowd collecting donations in a plastic bucket. Many people felt she should have waived her fee. It’s the least she could have done to help the needy kids.” [via starpulse]

It’s amazing to me that people like this need to be told “this is the right thing to do”. Alas. All’s well that ends well.

On that note, enjoy the rest of the holiday season — and don’t forget to give when you have the chance, love those around you, and get some good rest and relaxation. 2008 is going to be a busy year!