Mark Kennedy Shriver and actor Jennifer Garner stand together as they are introduced from the Senate floor at the state Capitol Thursday. Garner and Kennedy Shriver visited both chambers of the Legislature as representatives of Save the Children, a humanitarian organization that helps children worldwide. Courtesy/Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican.

Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, (D-Albuquerque), introduces actor Jennifer Garner and Mark Kennedy Shriver, representatives of Save the Children, at the state Capitol on Thursday. Courtesy/Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican.

By DANIEL J. CHACÓN 
The Santa Fe New Mexican

The Capitol brimmed Thursday with hundreds of visitors, from Santa Fe city officials to Future Farmers of America kids from every corner of New Mexico.

But two in particular stood out: actor Jennifer Garner and a scion of the Kennedy political family. 

Garner and Mark Kennedy Shriver appeared in both chambers of the Legislature as representatives of Save the Children, a humanitarian organization that helps children worldwide. Garner has been a member of the organization’s board of trustees since 2014 and Kennedy Shriver, a nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, created its political arm, Save the Children Action Network.

In the Senate, Garner told lawmakers she was “very, very grateful” to be in New Mexico.

“My grandmother actually lived in Clovis and my aunt lived in Portales for a long time, so there is a piece of getting here that reminds me of them and makes me very happy,” she said.

Garner told senators she and Kennedy Shriver had the “good fortune” to be able to visit Save the Children programs Thursday in Bloomfield.

“We were told that Save the Children has been changing the community in the short time that it’s been there,” she said. “It makes the kids and teachers and families feel like they matter, like somebody sees them, that somebody cares for them. They said to us, ‘You always wish for a silver bullet. Who’s going to come in and just feed your children and help them get to reading at grade level?’ And they felt like Save the Children has been that bullet.”

Garner said it was “so gratifying” to see Save the Children programs working and making a difference in New Mexico.

“Just to be fully transparent, we are here trying to shore up some state funding, and so you may hear about that,” she said, laughing.

After she and Kennedy Shriver spoke, several star-struck lawmakers made their way to the rostrum to take photos with Garner.

Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, (D-Albuquerque), introduced the pair before they spoke.

“Growing up in a family deeply committed to public service, Mark Kennedy Shriver has been a dedicated social advocate, author and nonprofit leader well known for his work in child welfare and education,” she said, adding he joined Save the Children’s U.S. programs in 2003 and developed its domestic early childhood education programs.

Stewart said Kennedy Shriver, a Democrat who served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1995 to 2003, is a special adviser to the organization’s president and CEO.

“It’s in this role that Mark visits us today,” she said.

Stewart called Garner a renowned actor who has “enjoyed a successful career at the top of her field in both film and television and has taken on the roles of philanthropist and entrepreneur.”

Garner “has been a champion for Save the Children for nearly 15 years,” Stewart said. “She’s a true advocate for children experiencing poverty in rural America and promotes the importance of literacy, nutrition and early education efforts as platforms for children to thrive as learners and in life.”

Actor Jennifer Garner smiles Thursday after speaking to senators at the state Capitol. Garner was joined by Mark Kennedy Shriver. The duo visited both chambers of the Legislature as representatives of Save the Children, a humanitarian organization that helps children worldwide. Courtesy/Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican. 

Actor Jennifer Garner smiles as state Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill, (D-Silver City), takes a selfie Thursday on the Senate floor. Courtesy/Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican