Jennifer Garner is beseeching Kentucky lawmakers to fund children’s literacy. The Miracles from Heaven star testified before the House budget committee on Tuesday on behalf of Save the Children, an organization for which she serves as trustee. She urged these lawmakers to preserve the nearly $1 million in funds Save the Children receives each year.
In a report from The Courier-Journal, Jennifer Garner was very direct with the lawmakers.
Jennifer Garner is urging Kentucky lawmakers to fund a children's education program: https://t.co/5FXsX2aOBy pic.twitter.com/wJNgmM5ctV
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) February 10, 2016
“I’m here because I believe so much in Save the Children’s early childhood programs, and I am hoping that you will continue to support them,” she said.
Working in conjunction with Maria Shriver’s brother Mark Shriver, president of Save the Children, Jennifer Garner explained that the program reaches more than 12,000 Kentucky children, and is one of the most successful of all Save the Children’s programs.
Garner went on to share a story about visiting a young mom with no books she could use to help her children learn to read. She said the mother “told over and over again how the program had changed the course of these kids’ lives.”
Grateful for Jennifer Garner, our Artist Ambassador, work on #earlyed #InvestInKids https://t.co/8zngaFBMAP
— Save the Children US (@SavetheChildren) February 11, 2016
Shriver went to bat for Jennifer Garner, saying, “We’re spending over $10 million here in Kentucky to match the million dollars that the state has invested in our work. We have over 300 staff working full and part-time in Kentucky with over 200 of those staff in Eastern Kentucky.”
Lawmakers told the Courier-Journal how impressed they were with Jennifer Garner lending her celebrity notoriety to this worthy cause.
“We never get this kind of media attention,” Sen. David Givens, R-Greensburg, said.
“So continue using this platform to do what you’re doing,” he added, addressing Jennifer Garner.
Jennifer Garner fights for children's literacy programme https://t.co/g7irY1fTap pic.twitter.com/h0p2gXJ65L
— dna (@dna) February 11, 2016
Celebrities have something that’s even more valuable than their money, but it’s only a small percentage who realize it and utilize it. Their celebrity status can draw attention to a great variety of needs. Kudos to Jennifer Garner for setting such a great example for others in her position. Hopefully they, too, will take action to benefit one or more of a wealth of worthy causes.