Jennifer Garner Launches Initiative to Inspire Kindness: 'I Can't Wait to See What Happens'

Jennifer Garner wants to celebrate random acts of kindness.

The actress, 47, has teamed up with Walmart for a new initiative to encourage people to perform their own acts of kindness and share them on social media using the hashtag #SparkKindness.

From simple acts like volunteering to buying a stranger a cup of coffee, Garner plans to highlight submissions on her own social platforms as well to help create a ripple effect into the world.

The initiative “felt like a no-brainer,” says the actress, who is also an artist ambassador to Save the Children. “Everyone knows that acts of kindness make us stronger and creates a true sense of community.”

Garner recently worked with Walmart, which will also be funding acts of kindness its employees carry out in their communities, to help revitalize the community space of a school in Alpaugh, Calif.

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“I had visited Save the Children’s literacy, numeracy, psychological and social programs at this K-12 school, and had seen it’s value to the community,” the actress says. “We rounded up Walmart associates and local volunteers and together we cleaned up the grounds and planted a small garden. I can’t tell you how great it felt to leave behind a gathering place for a community I know can use a little love.”

Garner is hopeful each post tagged #SparkKindness will prompt more ideas and there will be a momentum of good deeds. “These random acts of kindness are happening all around us, all the time, everywhere,” she says. “The smallest acts—picking up trash at a local park, volunteering at a shelter, buying a cup of coffee for someone who needs it—make the world a happier, more gentle place.”

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The actress insists she gets inspired “just by noticing, and I hope that this partnership will put a twinkle in someone’s eye and help be the nudge we sometimes need to step outside ourselves and change a day for the better,” she adds. “Kindness is contagious, truly. I can’t wait to see what happens.”

For more information on the #SparkKindness initiative, visit Walmart.com/JenniferGarner.