Look Who's Helping Save the Children

Promoting a fundamental principle that all children deserve an equal start in life, the following actors and musicians have joined Save the Children U.S. programs as Artist Ambassadors. Save the Children Artist Ambassadors lend their names, faces and personal interests to various Save the Children programs about which they feel particularly passionate, including early education, literacy, and nutritional and disaster relief programs that give a vital boost to children in struggling families and difficult circumstances. The following are both new and long-term Artist Ambassadors and supporters who continue to serve Save the Children at home and abroad.

Artist Ambassadors

America Ferrera: Emmy Award-winning actor America Ferrera, star of ABC’s once-leading show Ugly Betty, started a Facebook page to help Save the Children build a school in the remote village of Diassadeni, Mali. Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa, where nearly 800,000 children – mostly girls – are out of school. Ferrera traveled there in early 2010 to see how she could help Save the Children’s education initiatives. "These are the places that really need assistance and these are the children that need us to find them," Ferrera said in a brief documentary about her trip. "I can’t imagine anyone who would come and would see and then would think there isn’t any way for them to help."

Joely Fisher: Actress Joely Fisher, a Save the Children Artist Ambassador, visited Xai-Xai Province, Mozambique in June 2008 where she met with children and learned about their lives. Save the Children has successfully established child sponsorship with this African nation, which struggles to provide families with access to clean water, sufficient food and HIV/AIDS education. Fisher witnessed the powerful impact a sponsorship can have on a community’s ability to support its children and hopes to raise that same awareness among viewers of her popular FOX sitcom ‘Til Death.

Jennifer Garner: Jennifer Garner, actor and mother of two, has been a staunch advocate for Save the Children’s early education programs. In the summer of 2011, Garner made her fourth trip in two years to Washington, D.C. to support legislation promoting quality early education for all children and improved access to child care. In places like Garner’s home state of West Virginia, where generational poverty is a barrier to children’s success, early childhood education is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty. “[Advocating], to me, is one of the most important actions we can undertake,” she said. Garner also traveled to Capitol Hill in Spring 2009, where she met with key leaders to support for early education funding nationwide, and shared stories from her March 2009 visit to Save the Children’s early childhood programs in California’s Central Valley. Together, Save the Children and Jennifer Garner are working to ensure that every child in America has access to quality education from cradle to cap and gown.

Lynn Harrell, Helen Nightengale (HEART Ambassadors): Renowned cellist Lynn Harrell and his wife, the violinist Helen Nightengale, bring their love of the arts to their role as Save the Children Artist Ambassadors for Healing and Education through Arts (HEART), an innovative art education and therapy program for children.  In December 2010, Lynn saw how HEART is helping children in rural Nepal, and wrote on his blog that it was “an intensely emotional and gratifying experience.”

Randy Jackson: Grammy Award-winning producer and star of FOX Network’s hit show American Idol, Randy Jackson currently serves as a Save the Children’s United States Programs Ambassador, working to raise awareness of America’s children living in poverty. Jackson, a 20-year music industry veteran, took inspiration from Save the Children’s work during production of Idol Gives Back, a two-night fundraising special on American Idol that raised more than $75 million for children in poverty in the United States and Africa. During filming, Jackson returned to his home state of Louisiana to tour Save the Children’s programs for children impacted by Hurricane Katrina. "As a father, I know there is nothing more important than ensuring America’s children have the opportunity to lead healthy, successful lives," Jackson says. As an ambassador, Jackson has worked closely with Save the Children to raise awareness of the critical needs of children in the United States, especially those in poor, rural areas. He maintains a special focus on fitness, literacy and early childhood development, as well as programs that benefit children in emergencies. He has helped raise funds to expand the agency’s existing programs and advocates on behalf of children before elected officials, CEOs, opinion leaders and other individuals who can make a difference in the lives of the children.

Hugh Laurie (House): Actor Hugh Laurie of television’s House serves as an Artist Ambassador for Save the Children. The Golden Globe winner recently joined Save the Children and child health groups in calling for an annual World Pneumonia Day on November 2, 2009. "It’s so big, you couldn’t make a TV show about it," Laurie said. "But we can and must change it."

Julianne Moore: Artist Ambassador Julianne Moore’s leadership of Save the Children’s annual Valentine’s Day card program has drawn many supporters to help American children in need. Following her January 2008 visit to a Save the Children afterschool program in Kentucky, Moore has taken an active role in ensuring that rural school children have strong reading skills, the first step to success in school and in their futures. Moore also appeared with U.S. Programs Vice President, Mark Shriver in to deliver lessons learned from Save the Children’s 2009 Disaster Decade Report, and urged states to take measures that ensure children’s wellbeing in emergency situations. In Spring 2011, the cosmetics brand retailer, Kiehl’s named Moore a philanthropic Global Ambassador, a platform she will use to further her work with Save the Children.

Artist Supporters

Kevin McKidd: Known for his roles as "Tommy" in the critically acclaimed movie Trainspotting, as well as his current role as Dr. Owen Hunt on the hit television series Grey’s Anatomy, Scottish actor Kevin McKidd is now making his name as a generous contributor to Save the Children. Days after a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the tiny Caribbean nation of Haiti, affecting more than three million people, McKidd partnered with Save the Children to raise funds for its smallest victims. For an eBay charity auction to benefit Haiti, McKidd autographed dozens of items directing all the proceeds straight to the Save the Children Haiti Fund. He continues to support Save the Children through his web site, KevinMcKiddOnline.com, as well as by hosting charity events and filming PSAs for the organization.

Carrie Underwood: Five-time Grammy winner, Carrie Underwood supported Save the Children with proceeds from the fall leg of her very successful Play On Tour. Underwood performed more than 100 shows throughout the U.S. and Canada, donating 36 cents of every ticket sold to Save the Children’s U.S. Programs, a contribution totaling $140,125.68. This initiative was inspired by the "36 cents"  written in the lyrics of "Change" to make the point that even our spare change can add up to help "change" the world.

Last Updated July 2011