Eva Longoria has credited her ''developmentally disabled'' sister Elizabeth for inspiring her to get involved with charity work at a young age.

The 'Desperate Housewives' actress - who is the chair of the Global Gift Foundation - is incredibly passionate about helping others, however, she says charity work was in her blood long before she found fame because she witnessed her sibling Elizabeth's struggles growing up. She said: ''I grew up a very selfless family.

My mother was always giving back, so I was doing this work before I was famous. ''One of the most rewarding things that happened to me was growing up with my eldest sister, Elizabeth, who is developmentally disabled. She is the light of my life and it has taught me more than I could ever have imagined. ''Becoming famous didn't change how I felt, it just gave me a louder voice and a bigger spotlight to bring to the organisations I was helping.''

The 38-year-old star was joined by a slew of A-list pals at the latest Global Gift Foundation gala in London last week, including Victoria Beckham - who designed her stunning black gown - and Nicole Scherzinger. Fashion designer Victoria, 39, auctioned off a personal dress fitting with her as part of the night's festivities and Eva was ''touched'' by her friend's generosity.

Eva - who also has her own charity, The Eva Longoria Foundation - gushed to LOOK magazine: ''I was so touched that Victoria offered that amazing personal experience for the auction. It meant so much to me.'' Victoria, who took the stage to present her one-of-a-kind auction, earned laughs by joking about her pop star past with the Spice Girls.

 She told the crowd: ''Don't worry - I'm not going to sing!'' The svelte star added: ''Come on, people, let's have some fashion fun! We get naked during these fittings!''