Emotional Jennifer Garner reveals her friend died in LA fires as she volunteers to help devastated community

Jennifer Garner was visibly on the verge of tears as she opened up about the devastating fires in LA on Friday while volunteering to feed communities in the Pacific Palisades.

The actress, 52, was seen lending support to World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides food assistance.

She joined Chef Jose Andres for an interview MSNBC and emotionally revealed she had ‘lost a friend’ during the catastrophic event – which has now been confirmed to have claimed 11 lives.

During a conversation with journalist Katy Tur, Garner said at one point: “I have indeed lost a friend. And for our church it is very tender. So I don’t feel like I need to talk about her yet.’

“But yes, I did lose a friend who didn’t leave on time,” she continued, her voice cracking over the tragic loss.

Jennifer also reflected on the destruction of thousands of homes in the Palisades community, saying, “I…my heart bleeds for all my friends.”

“I mean, I can think of a hundred families and five thousand homes have been lost. Without even thinking, I can write down a list of a hundred friends who have lost their homes.”

Garner then admitted, “I almost feel guilty walking around my house, you know, what can I do?” How can I help? What can I offer? What do I have to offer with these hands and these walls and the security I have?’

The star – who is also an ambassador for the non-profit organization Save The Children – said the organization “will be in shelters helping parents and children and keeping them safe, social and emotional… we will be here in a big way, whole, be very present. soon.’

Elsewhere in her conversation with Tur, the actress said, “I’ve lived in and around the Palisades for 25 years, so I think we all want to help in some way to be helpful.”

“And because of my work with Save The Children, we have a relationship with the chef,” she said, referring to Jose Andres, the founder of World Central Kitchen.

“And I could just say, ‘Can I spend a day with you? What can I do to help? Put me to work.'”

The Methodist church Jennifer was supposed to attend burned down in the fires, and as she became emotional, she told Katy, “It’s my family’s church.”

After a pause, Garner continued, “And this is where my children went to Sunday school. A few weeks ago we lit the Advent candle there together. We saw the little children perform. It’s a kindergarten. It is a central part of our community.”

‘It is a gathering point for the entire community. And full of really quirky, cool, mostly working-class people from the community. And I just loved being there because wherever I went, I always ran into someone from our community.”

She later added: “The people are strong and the sense of community is strong. We will take care of each other, and that’s still there. That is still stronger than ever.’

Garner began volunteering Friday to help feed firefighters and victims during the LA fires after ex Ben Affleck rushed to her home following the catastrophe.

The star cut a casual figure in a hoodie, jeans and baseball cap as she joined WCK founder Jose Andres to lend support and feed the thousands of firefighters battling the blazes.

This comes days after Affleck was forced to evacuate his $20.5 million home in Pacific Palisades and went to Garner’s nearby home in Brentwood on Tuesday to get her and their children to safety.

The next day, the actor returned home to find that his house had survived the massive forest fires.

Despite his decision to return, the house turned out to still be in an evacuation zone.

Ben came home wearing a business-ready tan sport coat and white shirt, just as he had driven them from his office.

The Argo star was seen arriving home the night before with a shocked expression on his face as flames were visible near his home, which he bought after his divorce from Jennifer Lopez.

Ben was spotted meeting a friend later on Wednesday, beaming from ear to ear.

While he was lucky that his house survived when so many other Westside stars and Pacific Palisades residents lost their homes, he’s still not out of the woods.

The gusty winds continue to blow through Los Angeles and could still spark new fires, although they appear to have weakened somewhat from their highs on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

Since the Pacific Palisades fire broke out, new fires have broken out further east in Altadena, forcing major evacuations in nearby Pasadena Tuesday evening.

Fires broke out again in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, threatening densely populated parts of Hollywood.

The Armageddon star has only lived in Pacific Palisades for a short time after purchasing a home in the area for $20.5 million following his divorce from Jennifer Lopez.

While it’s far from the lavish retreat he and his ex had lived in together in Beverly Hills, it’s not exactly small at 6,000 square feet and five bedrooms and six bathrooms.

Before moving into his current home, he had lived in the massive, 38,000-square-foot Georgian mansion that he and Lopez bought for $60 million.

It features 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms and has plenty of amenities, including a 12-car garage and an elevator, but so far the couple hasn’t found a buyer after putting it on the market for $68 million.

After splitting from Jennifer – but before she made her divorce filing public – Ben was seen living in a rental home in Brentwood, not far from his current home, keeping him in the same neighborhood as his ex-wife Jennifer Garner. and his children live.

While Ben has been lucky so far, other celebrities have faced heartbreak due to the bright flames.

Stars including Adam Brody and Leighton Meester whose home was destroyed along with Anna Faris’ mansion.

John Goodman and Anthony Hopkins were left with nothing but rubble after their homes burned down, and Billy Crystal and Eugene Levy also lost their homes.

Actor James Woods shared a video of the approaching flames shortly before he evacuated, prior to the destruction of his home.

The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag saw their home destroyed by the bushfire, and Spencer looked somber at the encroaching flames before his family was forced to flee.