The 51-year-old actress returns to the state of Kentucky one year on from mass floods that destroyed the Robinson Elementary School building, noting the importance of library for kids.
- Oct 27, 2023
AceShowbiz - Jennifer Garner thinks there is "a lot of trauma" for children growing up in poverty. The 51-year-old actress returned to the state of Kentucky one year on from mass floods that destroyed the Robinson Elementary School building and various other locations in the area and has donated 500 books to the new building to replace ones lost in the flood.
Speaking on the "Today" show, she said, "My little elementary school library totally shaped my life. The kids' faces turned when we started talking about the floods. They wanted me to know how scary it was, what it was like to lose their school, what it was like to lose their homes, where their family went. Children's libraries are some of the most important places in our country, but you know what, a push cart is better than nothing."
"A push cart with an amazing librarian like we met today, who's prioritizing reading, who's showing the kids that it matters enough that she will push around a cart to make sure they have some books," she continued. "There's a lot of trauma just in growing up below the poverty line, and if you can name it, then you can heal, you can be resilient and move on. And it's amazing, it's amazing to watch in action."
The "13 Going on 30" actress went on to insist that "resilience" is the key to carrying on in different times and recognising the "strength" in community. "My takeaway is really that resilience, resilience comes from the doing."
She continued, "It comes from putting one foot in front of the other, it comes from figuring things out and acting on it. But it also can't happen in a vacuum. Sometimes you need community to wrap themselves around you, and boy, this community is strong."
