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Jennifer Garner works with paparazzo to create an act of kindness for homeless man

She’s a saint.

via PinkLover1969/TikTok

Actor Jennifer Garner helps a homeless man in Santa Monica, California.

A paparazzo caught actor Jennifer Garner performing a touching act of kindness. Instead of being annoyed at having the moment filmed by the photographer, she asked him to help.

Garner was at the beach in Santa Monica, California, handing out bags of necessities to the homeless when she came across a man in a wheelchair who had no socks or shoes. Garner took the socks off her feet, gave them to the man and then attempted to hand over her shoes, but they were too small.

Garner then briskly walked over to the photographer filming her and asked him for assistance.

"What size feet do you have?” she asked the photographer repeatedly. “Can I buy your shoes for him? He needs a shoe.” When the random paparazzo asked what size feet the homeless man was, Garner replied, “10 and a half.”

@pinklover1969

Jennifer Gardner lead with kindness ... takong the time to help out a homeless man in LA. Her shoes must not have fit because she rushed over to the photographer and offered to buy his shoes. #kindness #jg #jennifergarner #homelessman #spreadlove #alwayshelpothers #hockeyhelpsthehomeless #fyp #tmznews #trending #foryou

“Oh, I’m 11! Want me to give it to him? I can give it to him,” he responded, adding that Garner didn’t have to pay him for the shoes. The photographer had a blanket to give to the homeless man as well.

When Garner came across the man in the wheelchair, she was handing out plastic bags filled with necessities, similar to those Upworthy reported on in March of 2022. Garner created a viral video for Instagram that showed how the average person could make bags to give a “random act of kindness” to someone in need.

The underlying message of the post is that with a bit of forethought and preparedness, we all can help people experiencing homelessness.

“Gather these essentials in a quart-sized Ziploc bag and keep them in your car to give away when you see someone in need,” she wrote on the post before listing some items that can really help a homeless person get through the day. “A pair of thick socks. Kleenex. Hand wipes. Disposable toothbrushes. Chapstick. A couple of granola bars. I forgot this time, but like to add feminine hygiene products, too. Add $5, $10, $20 and a smile.”

Homelessness has steadily risen in the United States by about 6% yearly since 2017. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, roughly 421,000 people were homeless in 2022, and nearly 128,000 were chronically homeless, meaning they didn't have a place to stay for a year or more.

The rise in people on the streets is distressing, and we all hope our leaders can get together to stop the steady increase. But until then, we are all called to do what we can to help alleviate the suffering we see on the streets.

Garner is a beautiful example of taking direct action to make the world a better place. Whether she calls a senator to help pass gun control legislation, buys boxes of books to help school teachers, or helps the homeless, her philosophy seems pretty simple. If you see something wrong, do something. It’s everyone’s responsibility to make the world a better place.


This article originally appeared on 9.22.23

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Jennifer Garner crying at her kid's graduation is making other parents feel so seen

"Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate."

@jennifer.garner/TikTok

Jennifer Garner crying is all of us crying.

Some parenting milestones are more bittersweet than others. With high school graduations, there’s the pride and joy with watching your child walk down the aisle, but also the profound and multi-layered sense of loss that comes as they enter adulthood.

And with such complex and conflicting emotions raging inside, for many moms and dads it all comes out through profuse tears.

Apparently, Jennifer Garner is no exception.

The beloved “Alias” actress recently celebrated the graduation of one of her three children (not specified), and posted a carousel onto her Instagram featuring several teary eyed images, along with the caption “Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate. 🎓 (bless our hearts 🥺♥️🤣).”

There’s even a clip of her on a plane asking “How are we going to make it? What are we going to do?”

Garner’s post generated lots of commiseration from fellow parents—both fans and other celebs—who had been exactly where she is now.

"Oh honey ... I know. 😢 ❤️ You have done a great job , mama! I will be here for support and lots of hugs," Reese Witherspoon wrote.

“My daughter walked across the stage and stopped. Looked for me and said HI MOM! Massive tear shedding!,” someone else added.

A third said, "I feel seeen!!! My baby boy is graduating I can’t!!!! 🎓🎓🎓😭😭. I feel you mama!!! He’s our first too and no one prepares you for this! We are so proud of our boy and I know you are too of your baby girl! So many emotions."

Others offered encouragement that the pain is only temporary.

"You know it really does get better. Seeing them adult is a really cool thing too. I can’t say I don’t miss a full house, but it’s fun to watch them navigate life in their own way,” one person wrote.

"Just think about all the fun she has ahead- you got this mama!" wrote another.

Though nothing can fully take away the inevitable pain that comes from this important chapter in a parent’s life, there are several ways to cope with it all.

Experts seem to agree that simply accepting there will be a mix of joy and sadness is an important part of the process, as well as keeping busy while pursuing other interests or rekindling the relationship with your spouse outside of shared parental roles. There’s also nothing wrong with seeking outside professional help to make the transition a bit smoother.

All in all, may this story be a reminder for parents to allow themselves to feel those feelings. Grief is just love persevering, after all.

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Joy

Jennifer Garner attempting to bathe her cat is 100% relatable to cat owners

It’s usually not recommended to bathe cats, but Moose had an “issue” that required intervention.

Jennifer Garner/Instagram

Cats generally do not appreciate humans bathing them.

One of the biggest differences between being a cat owner and a dog owner is that cats are experts at grooming themselves. While dogs require regular bathing, cats don't—in fact, it's generally recommended that you don't bathe kitties for non-medical reasons because it can dry out their skin and disrupt the cat-owner relationship.

(For real, if you didn't know this about cats, barring any health issues, they are meticulously clean and their fur actually smells good, even up close. Some cats have a mild cologne-like scent that's quite pleasing, and they do it all by themselves.)

However, occasionally something might happen that requires a human to bathe a cat. When it does, it's an adventure, as Jennifer Garner hilariously demonstrated in a video on her Instagram page for National Pet Day.

It seems that her cat, Moose, had a bit of a poo issue, which Garner doesn't elaborate much on but that required some assistance to remedy. That assistance involved a bath—or sink shower in this case—which many cats aren't too keen on. Despite the viral videos showing cats who mysteriously love the bathtub, most domesticated cats don't, and they will let you know it in the only way they know how.

For Moose, that message was sent by climbing out of the sink and onto his owner mid-scrub, creating a scenario that left Garner asking aloud, "What's to be done? What would my mom do?!?"

Watch:

The helplessness of having a cat clinging to you for dear life is real. You don't want to pull them off because they'll just dig their claws in further, and when they climb up over your shoulder, you don't have any leverage to do anything with them anyway. It's definitely not a one-person job to try to bathe a cat who doesn't want to be bathed.

According to Britannica, most domesticated cats hate water because wet fur is uncomfortable and it takes a long time to dry. There's also the totally not-backed-by-science possibility that cats simply find the prospect of being bathed offensive. After all, they spend a large chunk of their waking hours cleaning themselves—how dare we measly humans suggest they aren't doing a good enough job of it?

Along with encouraging her to get her wounds cleaned and treated well, as cat scratches can be dangerous, people weighed in on the video with some hilarious commentary.

"I'm pretty sure Moose would have killed you if you'd gotten to the conditioner," wrote one person.

"I think the conditioner would have tipped Moose over the edge," agreed another.

"That cat went straight for the carotid. Much like my toddler when I suggested she put pants on this morning," joked another.

"You are so brave! Also, this was a tad reminiscent of Buddy the Elf trying to hug that raccoon, 😂" offered another.

All in all, Moose's bath could have gone worse. There are actually some ways to make a cat bath a bit more pleasant—and safe—for everyone involved. The ASPCA recommends these five steps for bathing a cat:

1. Prep Your Cat – If you're wondering how to keep a cat calm while bathing, it can be helpful first to get your cat used to being in the sink or tub—try putting them in without water, giving them a few treats, and then lifting them out. If possible, you can do this several times in the days before you plan to give your cat a bath to help things go smoother.

2. Add Cat to Water – Put a few inches of lukewarm water in the sink or tub and place your cat gently inside. Keep your cat calm by talking soothingly and praising them for good behavior. (I know, easier said than done!)

3. Wet Your Cat Down – Wet your cat's body and tail while avoiding the face. Most cats don't like water in their face, and you'll definitely want to avoid upsetting your soaked kitty.

4. Lather and Rinse – Add the shampoo, lather, and rinse your cat thoroughly. Try not to leave any soap residue behind, which can irritate your cat's skin.

5. Clean the Face – Use the soft cloth to wipe off your cat's whiskered face carefully. You can also clean the outside of the ears with a cotton ball. Never use a Q-tip or other instrument to clean the inside of your cat's ears, which could cause injury.

Garner's poopy bath adventures with Moose is prime evidence that cat ownership is never boring. You can follow Jennifer Garner for more relatable cat mom fun on Instagram.

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Jennifer Garner announces the death of her father with heartfelt tribute and family photos

"Today is for gratitude."

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Jennifer Garner ad father William John Garner starring in a Capital One commercial.

Grief and gratitude might seem to be in opposition to the other, but in times of loss, they both work in tandem to help us process our pain. As the “Ten Percent Happier” blog eloquently puts it, “grief embodies our humanity even as gratitude allows us to embrace pain and hardship.”

Actress Jennifer Garner recently gave a poignant example of this.

On April 1, the “Alias” star took to her Instagram page to share the news that her father, William John Garner, died “peacefully” in the afternoon on March 30.

Though her tribute expressed the loss she felt, it made plenty of space for humor and appreciation for the precious memories she got to create with her “kind and brilliant” dad.

Garner began her caption with a joke, saying, “We were with him, singing ‘Amazing Grace’ as he left us. Did we carry him across or scare him away — valid question.”

The lighthearted moment was followed by a nugget of heartfelt truth. “While there is no tragedy in the death of an 85-year-old man who lived a healthy, wonderful life, I know grief is unavoidable, waiting around unexpected corners.”

Still, Garner noted that “Today is for gratitude,” reminiscing her late father’s “gentle demeanor and quiet strength” his “mischievous smile,” and “for the way he invented the role of all in, ever patient girl dad.”

She then sent thank-you's to the medical staff that helped him during his final chapter, helping him get a few more days to spend with his grandchildren.

“There is so much to say about my dad— my sisters and I will never be done talking about how wonderful he was, so bear with us,” she concluded. “But for today, I share these memories with my appreciation for the kind and brilliant man, father, and grandfather he was, as well as the loving legacy he left behind.”

Along with the tribute, Garner shared a carousel of images of her dad, including a clip of their iconic Capital One commercial spot, where her father got to deliver the famous “What’s in your wallet?” tagline.

Garner aimed to honor her father in her tribute, and she succeeded.

“My heart aches a little because you lost someone so incredibly special, but also celebrates the comfort you must have in knowing what a precious and wonderful human being he was here on Earth. I am now singing to him as well!” one person wrote.

Another added, “What an amazing father and beautiful example.”

It prompted a few to reflect on their own relationships with their father.

“Dads are so precious. Sorry for your loss.”

“A father daughter bond is like no other — I’m so very sorry — sending love and prayers for your family.”

“What a lovely face he had! A wonderful father is a tough thing to beat. I had one too and know in my bones how lucky I was — how lucky you were— thinking of you and sending buckets of love.”

Part of being human means eventually losing everyone we love. We can choose to focus solely on mourning. We can also choose to try to bury the pain. But neither of those options helps us fully experience our own humanity. The hidden opportunity of grief is to feel gratitude at a profound level, as if to say “I am now more fully aware of how precious our time together was, now that it is no longer here.” May we all have the grace to embrace both sides when the time comes.

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