Though Oprah, Angelina and Bono get oodles of media attention, other celebrities are always out there trying to use their fame for good. Three shared personal stories from recent charitable journeys with USA TODAY:

Scarlett Johansson, 22

Actress, whose film The NannyDiaries is out Aug. 24; currently shooting Woody Allen's next movie in Spain.

Mission: Accompanied Oxfam, an international confederation focused on global poverty and suffering, for a two-week trip to India and Sri Lanka in March. Signed on as an ambassador.

On safety: We were not visiting the war zones of Sri Lanka because it can be so dangerous. I wanted to travel farther in to see what was going on, but they told me they weren't allowing vehicles. A school bus was blown up the day that we arrived. It was pretty horrible."

On staying healthy: "I got all kinds of shots for hepatitis, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis. And I had to drink bottled water because the water is disease-ridden and filthy."

On leaving glam behind: "It was nice to feel part of the community. Certainly your own vanity is the last thing on your mind when you're traveling in a place like this."

On returning to glam life: "It's amazing to come home when you see people living in poverty. On one hand you're thinking, (the celeb life) is so surreal, but it's my work and helps me bring awareness to Oxfam."

What's next: "I plan to go with Oxfam to Africa. I have never traveled much in Africa besides parts of southern Africa on holiday. I'd love to go to Liberia or Ethiopia."