The former couple and their three children attended the annual event for non-profit The Midnight Mission in Los Angeles
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are giving back this holiday season.
The former couple spent Thanksgiving volunteering and serving free meals to the homeless community in Los Angeles as they attended homeless shelter The Midnight Mission’s annual Thanksgiving Street Fair.
Affleck and Garner, both 52, were joined by their three children — Violet Anne, 18, Seraphina Rose, 15, and Samuel, 12 — at the event, with a source telling PEOPLE of the outing, “They truly enjoy giving back to their community and cherishing quality time together.
Every Thanksgiving, the non-profit organization “hosts a celebration for thousands of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Skid Row,” its website states, adding that the event includes a holiday meal and live entertainment.Affleck and Garner — who split in 2015 after 10 years of marriage before finalizing their divorce three years later — appeared in good spirits as they joined the organization’s CEO, David Prentice, for a photo shared on Instagram.
The shelter captioned the post, “Today, we were honored to have Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner join us at The Midnight Mission for Thanksgiving! Their kindness, warmth, and dedication brought so much joy to our Skid Row community.”
“Thank you, Ben and Jennifer, for serving meals and sharing smiles on this special day. Your compassion reminds us all of the true meaning of Thanksgiving—coming together to support one another,” the message added.Affleck and Garner sported matching white Midnight Mission aprons in the snap. They were also pictured alongside other volunteers including Sarah Paulson, Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran in further social media images shared to the non-profit’s Instagram Stories.
This definitely isn’t the first time Affleck has showed his support for The Midnight Mission. The actor first learned about the organization, which has been in operation since 1914, through a parent at one of his children’s schools and has supported their efforts for years.
“I found that I get a lot out of giving a little bit of my time to other people. I don’t know that it helps them or not, but I know it’s helpful to me,” Affleck told PEOPLE in 2020.The Midnight Mission serves anyone in need, with a range of programs that focus on education, recovery and workforce development.
Affleck added: “It’s easy to sort of throw up your hands and say there’s nothing you can do.”
“But the truth is there are people who want to make their lives better, who are struggling, who need help and who you can benefit by even doing a little bit, giving a little bit of money or a little bit of time. It’s just a really powerful thing to do to be able to connect with people,” he said.The Oscar winner is currently in the middle of filming his upcoming movie RIP with pal Matt Damon, but made sure to take a break to celebrate Thanksgiving with his children.
A source told PEOPLE earlier this week, “He’s very happy with life. He enjoys working. He’ll spend Thanksgiving with his kids.”
This was Affleck’s first Thanksgiving since wife Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce in August, listing their date of separation as April 26, after less than two years of marriage.