The roles that have Molly Sims most excited these days are those that involve helping others. The actress recently visited The Hill advocating on behalf of United Against Malaria as Population Services International’s (PSI) Five & Alive ambassador.

And, as often seems to happen, the Kentucky-native seems to have caught the social philanthropist bug. Last she talked to Tonic, there were only plans for more good work coming down the pike. “It’s great to be a voice. It’s pretty exciting to be given the opportunity. Part of me feels like, ‘you’re making a small difference,’” said Sims.

Here, Molly answers Tonic’s Really Good Q&A:

1. What cause is near and dear to your heart (and why)?

I have a few. PSI.org for their amazing work in Haiti and all of the amazing work they have been able to do for that country. I went before the earthquake happened in fall 2009, and it changed my life forever.
Another cause near and dear to my heart is Friends of El Faro, which helps an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico.

2. What was your most recent random act of kindness?

Begging people for money to help take care of the orphans in Tijuana.

3. Where (or from whom) did you first learn about ‘giving back’?

From watching my mother.

4. What activist/philanthropist most inspires you?

Oprah because she reaches out to so many people and inspires those around her. Her enthusiasm to help others is contagious, and that is admirable.

5. What are you hopeful for?

That we can all come together to help those in need without the need for a natural disaster to bring it to our attention.

6. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

I wish religion could make people come together more as opposed to dividing so many.

7. How have you made your life greener? And …

I only use natural products in my home and I am conscious of what I do on a day-to-day basis. Whether it is taking short showers or recycling — I try to do my part.

8. What’s your guilty eco-offense?

I just got a new car and it isn’t a hybrid this time.

9. What’s the one thing you want to do before you die?

Become a mother.

10. What’s the best good advice you ever received?

Don’t take no for an answer.

From Tonic

The gorgeous jewelry designer and former model was more than happy to offer up her advice, and even spilled on what we can expect from her collection come fall!

Shopping for mom can be tricky — you want to get her something sentimental and useful but you aren’t looking to spend an exorbitant amount of cash, and guess what? Molly Sims, the gorgeous model turned jewelry designer, totally agrees! At breakfast at the Bryant Park Hotel in NYC, she spilled on the inspiration behind her jewelry line, Grayce by Molly Sims, talked about the website she just launched, and offered up some advice if you’re looking to scoop up jewelry!

“I always tell girls, don’t buy what YOU like, buy what you know your mother’s gonna like!” Molly said. “Push her just a little bit to do something different, that’s what I do with my mom. My mom loves what I get, even if it’s just two dollars cause she can’t get it.” The supermodel says the most important part of the gift is the thought that goes into it. “It’s about getting something special and unique, it’s not about price!”

Molly, a jewelry lover who says, “I plan my outfits around my jewelry!” is super involved with every aspect of design and production that goes into her collection.

“I take inspiration from everybody. I took 14 pictures of women’s jewelry yesterday!” In fact, the articulate model even started asking those in attendance questions about their jewelery preferences, before spilling on the trends for the upcoming seasons! “The fall collection will be a lot of long silver and gold chains,” “More mixed metal is what we find most people like, we’re working on mixed gold, silver, and rose gold, it’s really cool.”

From Hollywood Life

We’ve loved Molly Sims since the first time we heard her Kentucky accent and found out that she loves Cracker Barrel. Now she’s launched a line of jewelry that we kind of want to own, which can be seen at GraycebyMollySims.com. Incidentally, the photos on the site were shot by actor Aaron Eckhart, who has been romantically linked to Sims in the past, though our sources tell us they are definitely not together and are “just friends.”

See a few pieces of her jewelry below.

Finally, Modelinia.com talked to Molly Sims about her favorite beauty products and her battle with acne. She actually gives some good do’s (tinted moisturizer and taking prenatal vitamins to make her hair grow) and don’ts (aspirin facials and beer hair rinses).

On World Malaria Day, PSI’s ambassador to United Against Malaria, Molly Sims, gives Tonic the lowdown on how to eradicate the very preventable and controllable disease.

If you knew that a small $10 donation could help eradicate cancer or AIDS you’d do it, right? Of course you would; it’s a no-brainer. Well, United Against Malaria (UAM) plans to do just that: reduce deaths from Malaria to near zero by 2015. Considering most countries, including the United States, haven’t had to deal with malaria since 1951, helping put an end to a deadly disease that disproportionately affects the continent of Africa seems like a reasonable and logical thing to do — not to mention humane.

So how does UAM plan to wipe the globe free of a disease that claims the lives of one million people annually? Tonic talked to actress and Population Services International (PSI)’s Five & Alive program ambassador, Molly Sims, during her recent trip to Washington D.C., where she and local youth soccer teams presented 20,000 signatures supporting UAM efforts to members of Congress.

UAM, which functions through the cooperation of seven founding organizations: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Comic Relief, Malaria No More, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (CCP), ONE, PATH, saw the opportunity in leveraging the 2010 World Cup to raise awareness around the issue. A truly amazing platform since its the world’s most watched event in the month of June and one-third of the players are of African-descent.

Sims explains, “It’s all about the World Cup. It’s using celebrities and soccer players and advocates and politicians — anybody who has a voice to say that malaria can be completely preventable and controllable. You can imagine how many people that will help. A child dies every 30 seconds. So in the length it takes to play a soccer match — 180 people are dead in an hour and a half.” Or as she later put it, “three jumbo-jets worth of people die everyday.” Horrific, considering these are completely avoidable statistics.

In addition to the efforts of the World Cup, NGOs and individual influencers, UAM is seeking governmental support for this non-partisan issue. Sims underscores this fact saying, “It doesn’t matter if you’re poor, rich, red, white or blue. This isn’t an issue of Republican or Democrat — the mosquito doesn’t care.” Sims and other UAM advocates made the rounds on The Hill last week, explaining the facts, the solution and asking for the $680 million that’s already been pledged.

Sims says the best and easiest way to make an impact is by making a $10 donation. “$10 will buy a net for a family for five years — $5 for the behavior change, and $5 for the net. You can get an amazing return on your investment because you can end it. If people get treated, they can live. It’s a pretty good investment to bet on.” We couldn’t agree more.

Some more startling facts about the very treatable and preventable disease:

* Malaria kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds and nearly one million people each year.
* Worldwide, 3.3 billion people are at risk of malaria — that’s half of the world population.
* 91% of malaria deaths occur in Africa; 85% of these are children under 5 years of age.
* In addition to the death toll, malaria contributes to the cycle of poverty and limits economic development: Malaria costs Africa at least $12 billion in lost productivity every year.
* 40% of African health expenditures are on malaria alone.

From Tonic