This week, I had the pleasure of hanging on the set of Days of our Lives and interviewing Shawn Christian. Sure, we all know he plays the good-looking Lothario with a past, Dr. Daniel Jonas, but did you also know about Shawn's recent trip to Detroit?
Shawn filled me in on the work he and Nadia Bjorlin did while back in the Midwest and now he shares his story with you, the readers.

Days Insider: Do you mind giving a brief introduction on why you were in Detroit, recently?

Shawn: I was back in Detroit; initially back in November, along with Bryan Dattilo, Nadia Bjorlin, James Reynolds and Shelley Hennig to bring some good to the community. We were thinking, Detroit needs a little shot of adrenalin and we wanted to bring them positive spirit. We went to the VA, and the Detroit rescue mission, Genesis House III. A local company had donated bedding to those places, which we helped deliver and set up. We were looking around and thinking this is a lot of progress, but we still need to do so much more. We came back to Los Angeles and I heard about Art Van Furniture in Detroit wanting to make a sizable donation of items to the rescue mission. A phone call was made and Art Van wanted Nadia and I to return to Detroit and help deliver mattresses, end tables, and dressers to the Genesis House III. I was so moved by the personal stories I had heard while there, I was blown away. Here we are thinking, we'll go to Detroit and help lift their spirits, when in fact, the citizens of Detroit had given us a gift much bigger.

Days Insider: With your ties to Michigan, did it make this trip more personal for you?

Shawn: Yes, I am originally from Michigan and I have family and friends who have lost jobs in the automotive industry in Detroit. I've always tried to do what I can, where I can. This was an opportunity that presented itself and it gave me a chance to step up and represent my home state.

Days Insider: What was the general reaction to your arrival in Detroit? Was there a big difference between the first trip in November and this last trip?

Shawn: The first trip we immediately witnessed an overwhelming gratitude that just radiated from each and every face as soon as we walked into a room. People welcomed us with hugs and created these beautiful banners. We were just blown away. It had nothing to do with the fact that we were actors on Days of our Lives, it was the fact that someone had taken the time out of their lives to help. That's what I think made the gratitude so overwhelming. The second time we came back, we had already heard their stories, so now it was more of a personal connection we shared.

Days Insider: If you could give a general summary of your trip, what would you say?

Shawn: It was a great trip and it wasn't your typical charitable black-tie dinner, we didn't just drop a check off and leave. We went to the Genesis House III and sat down and ate lunch with these people, we shared personal time with them. Like I said, it was a two way street, we both exchanged a wonderful experience.

I hope you enjoyed my interview with Shawn. It is always very refreshing to hear stories of actors taking the time to give back. Don't forget to check out our photo gallery with more of your favorite stars from Days of our Lives doing their share to help make their community a better place. Click here.