Jennifer Garner is one of the most famous actors in the film industry, known for her incredible performances. Since beginning her professional acting career in 1995, she has enjoyed tremendous success, appearing in numerous critically acclaimed films such as “Daredevil,” “The Adam Project,” “Yes Day,” and “The Last Thing He Told Me.”

Despite her success, Jennifer has never forgotten her modest beginnings, including her mother’s upbringing in an underprivileged family. She has openly discussed how her mother overcame poverty. On May 15, 2020, Jennifer honored her mother’s birthday with a touching Instagram post.

Jennifer is a long-time advocate against poverty in the United States and a champion for early childhood education. She serves on the board of Save the Children, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting children’s rights. In February 2019, CNN highlighted a Save the Children study noting that low income, adolescent pregnancy, food insecurity, and high infant mortality contribute to child poverty in the Southeast.

Jennifer’s advocacy work with Save the Children is inspired by her mother’s determination to escape poverty through education. Mark Shriver, Save the Children’s senior vice president for US advocacy and programming, praised Jennifer for pushing the program and urging officials to prioritize children’s needs.

In March 2017, Jennifer testified on Capitol Hill about the necessity of providing early childhood education to children living in poverty. That same day, a new budget proposal was unveiled that did not prioritize early childhood education and significantly cut funding for the Education Department. According to the Washington Post, Jennifer told senators, “Poverty is silent,” recounting a visit to Central Valley, California, where she witnessed the “classic signifiers of poverty.”

Jennifer shared her experience visiting a family with an 11-month-old child who had never played with a ball or uttered a word. After showing the mother how to roll the ball, the mother and son played together and engaged in lively conversations. Jennifer emphasized:

All About Jennifer Garner's Parents, William and Patricia Garner

“A bright mind living in abject poverty is at a disadvantage. A child will not be able to completely heal if they are not touched, talked to, and read to during the first five years of their life. Neglect can be as detrimental as abuse.”

She advocated for significant investment in high-quality early childhood education, which she believed would make a difference in children’s lives.

Jennifer’s story of growing up “one generation and one holler removed from poverty” has been a constant source of inspiration for her. In May 2020, she celebrated her mother’s birthday by sharing a photo and a heartfelt message on Instagram. She recounted her mother’s early years on a small farm in Locust Grove and how babysitting for a neighbor with five children for $1.00 per day impacted her life. The old LIFE magazines her mother received as payment inspired her to dream of traveling to beautiful places.

All About Jennifer Garner's Parents, William and Patricia Garner

Earlier that year, her parents realized their dream of visiting all 50 states and all seven continents. Jennifer also shared advice her mother gave her when she first moved to New York after college: “Jennifer, I don’t care what you do, but leaving that farm will never be as big of an issue for you as it was for me. It just won’t be.”

Jennifer never felt ashamed of her family’s financial situation, stating, “I have never once felt embarrassed of my humble beginnings. Instead, I am amazed by the grace and dignity that my parents had throughout my childhood.”

As a proud mother of three, Jennifer has shown that her mother’s courage has shaped her life into what it is today.