Jennifer Garner vows to help rebuild school libraries in flooded Eastern Kentucky counties
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E. KY schools, libraries struggle to reopen after flood damage
Many Eastern Kentucky school districts impacted by July’s catastrophic flooding are struggling to reopen.
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Actress and activist Jennifer Garner visited flooded Eastern Kentucky communities in Perry County on Aug. 7.
Garner, who is an ambassador for Save the Children and is on the board of the non-profit, spoke with Perry County Schools Superintendent Jonathan Jett and toured damaged Robinson Elementary.
She released a video of her visit on Instagram, saying, “Eastern Kentucky is a bright, shining example of community in action. When the historic floods devastated 12 counties, 7 schools and left at least 37 dead— there was no need to wait for outside hands to help. Families and friends went from home to home, rescuing, mucking out, tending and consoling.
“A community full of families who, despite their hard work, are living paycheck to paycheck (on average, 70% of families in this region live on $50,000/year or less).”
The West Virginia native said the organization was on the ground before and immediately after the July 28 floods and will continue to work in the region.
“When the cameras turn from E. Kentucky, @savethechildren will still be there, helping to get kids back to school, training caregivers and teachers in and implementing our trauma informed curriculum, Journey of Hope, throughout the region, rebuilding libraries and all around being good neighbors,” Garner posted.
She delivered sporting equipment to kids after visiting with the family of the Robinson principal in the area and spoke with “The Today Show” about her visit.
She said the devastated library hit her especially hard because the school library meant so much in her childhood and because Save the Children had helped to stock libraries in the area with books and computers.
“Save the Children takes such pride in filling these libraries. We’re in 16 counties in Kentucky ... and so many of these libraries are gone,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do but we will dig in and there are more books being printed every day. We will get back to it.”
This story was originally published August 11, 2022 at 11:53 AM.
