Matt Damon is celebrating the holidays this year a little differently. The actor and co-founder of Water.org, a non-profit working to bring clean water around the world, teamed up with Stella Artois for the Gift of Time Campaign. By purchasing a Stella product anytime now through the end of the year, you’ll be giving a donation to Water.org, and giving those who have to spend hours seeking clean water the gift of their time back. Matt sat down with Delish to chat about the campaign and how he plans on spending his holiday this year.
Tell me about the Gift of Time campaign.
It's really accelerated our work. This isn’t the first time we have worked with Stella Artois. With this partnership alone, we've reached well over 3 million people now with safe water and sanitation. So, that's a huge impact.
One of the biggest hurdles we have to clear, because this issue is unlike a lot of others that affect people living in extreme poverty, is that it's one of the least relatable for people in the West. We’re always pretty close to a clean drink of water. So this campaign, the Gift of Time, it's a relatable way for people to understand. Women in the developing world are spending hundreds of millions of hours a day collecting safe water. So if you buy one of these Stella products or a holiday chalice, you're triggering a donation to Water.org
We took over a water tank in SoHo [New York City], and they're doing this incredible art installation...I don't even want to describe it because I won't do it justice, but it's really magnificent. [Ed. note: I’ll try to describe it and see photos below. The art installation aims to show how New Yorkers have access to water through water tanks on city rooftops. The installation shows a woman painted on the side of the building carrying a container of water as the water tank].
What does the gift of time mean to you?
The main focus for me has always been time with my family around the holidays. But I feel like the connection with the older generation was really tenuous during COVID. I mean, I saw my mother and mother-in-law fewer times than probably any point in my life just because it was unsafe. Coming out of COVID, that's what I think I'm looking forward to the most.
When you are able to spend that time with your family, what’s on the table for Thanksgiving?
We do the standard turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce. I can't wait for all of that.
Have you ever fried the bird?
We roast it. I've done some Thanksgivings down South where they fry it, and I love a fried turkey as much as the next guy. But that's not a risk I want to take in my house. People make that classic mistake of putting too much oil in the pot, and then you throw the frozen turkey. [Ed note: Don’t do that! Here are our recs for frying your bird.] You get a big explosion so we don't we don't mess with it up here in New York. I let the professionals do it, but anytime I can get near a fried turkey, I'm definitely into it.
Are you ever in the kitchen or just a helpful supervisor?
I'm a good drone worker. I get put to work, you know, mashing potatoes or doing the things that don't require too much skill. I'm kind of a utility player on the team. So whatever I’m needed to do, I try to help with. But they don't let me near any of the stuff that actually requires skill.
What desserts do you go for?
I'm very standard. I love pumpkin pie and apple pie and basically I eat till I can't move. And then as soon as I start to get any kind of mobility, I get up and I eat again. That's my Thanksgiving tradition.
