Jennifer Garner ushered in her 53rd birthday on Thursday by sharing a heartfelt message about her bond with her three children.
The actress took to Instagram to reveal the one thing her kids can use to "manipulate" her with – something she simply can’t say no to. Jennifer shared a video of herself mid-run, speaking directly to the camera as she opened up.
© Getty Images"If one of my kids when they were little was hungry going to bed they could always manipulate me into letting them have a little snack," she began.
"I just couldn't bear the thought of my kids going to bed hungry."
© Getty ImagesJennifer welcomed three children – Violet, Finn, and Samuel – with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck. The couple, who tied the knot back in 2005, divorced in 2018. However, Jennifer and Ben have managed to maintain a strong relationship when it comes to co-parenting their kids.
The actress shared the anecdote as part of a wider message about child hunger that she hopes to raise awareness for. Jennifer explained that her children inspired her to run a mile a day for the next 67 days.
She continued: "Knowing that 16,000 kids on this planet are at risk of dying of preventable causes like now because of hunger, I don't know it's like keeping me up at night.
"So, I had an idea I'm gonna run a mile a day for the next 67 days. Oh my gosh, my face is crazy. I just woke up."
Jennifer encouraged her followers to support her mission and shared the reason behind her chosen time frame. "Why 67? The thing these kids need to bring them back into health and give them a chance at life is ready-to-use therapeutic food. It's a paste, it's got a lot of peanuts in it. It's a game changer, it's just completely life saving. In six weeks, it can bring a child from malnutrition back on track to be healthy," she added.
"It costs $67 to save the life of a child. So, I'm gonna run for those kids. If you ever feel inspired to run with me, if you ever feel inspired to walk with me, or to bike, or to row, something that you wouldn't normally do for an extra ten minutes, although that's being generous to my pace.
© Getty Images"If you feel inspired to give not just to Save the Children but to any organization that's feeding kids, that would mean a lot to me. Also, it's my birthday," she concluded.
The video depicted Jennifer running along the beachfront in a simple gray T-shirt while her brunette locks were swept back into a ponytail.
© Getty ImagesIn the caption, the actress penned: "Happy birthday to me! As I enter a new year, I feel compelled to do something, to put my feet on the ground for kids."
Jennifer explained how she has been an ambassador and trustee for Save The Children for the last 16 years but has recently felt "helpless about the world hunger crisis".
