“In a land of such wealth and prosperity, it was shocking to see so many children and their families struggling to get by. In fact, in rural America, one in five children lives in poverty,” said Moore.
A mother of two, her heart went out to children she read to at one of our literacy program sites in remote, rural Tennessee. She was equally moved by her time with a preschool-age girl and her mother, whom she met while joining one of our trained Early Childhood Coordinators on home visits to help low-income parents stimulate their children’s development and readiness for school.
“After seeing that kind of need firsthand, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”
Moore and her own children approached Save the Children with an idea to raise support for our U.S.-based literacy, early childhood and physical activity/nutrition programs in the weeks leading to Valentine’s Day. If you visited our website between February 1 and 14, you saw the result – a personal message from Julianne and a chance to send a Valentine’s Day card to someone special while supporting our vital initiatives for U.S. children.
Moore used an appearance on ABC’s The View on February 1 to launch the promotion.
“I spent time with Julianne when she visited our programs, and she was fantastic with the children and with the parents,” said Mark Shriver, Vice President and Managing Director of Save the Children's U.S. Programs. “She visited with a mother in her home and played with her young daughter, who has Spina Bifida. She read books to the children at the elementary school and she talked with the parents about their interests and challenges.”
“We were thrilled that Julianne helped us launch a Valentine’s campaign founded on love—one that continues to help children through early childhood education, literacy, physical activity and nutrition programs.”
Thanks to Julianne and to everyone who sent a Valentine’s card, Save the Children is better prepared to serve some 35,000 girls and boys who benefit every year from these programs in Appalachia, the Southeast, the Mississippi River Delta, the Gulf Coast, the Southwest and California's Central Valley.
You can still show a loved one that your heart is in the right place by making a gift to Save the Children’s U.S. programs in their name.
