Jennifer Garner Shares Her Mom Told Her Don't "Marry a Man Thinking You Can Change Him" Ahead of Spending Thanksgiving With Ben Affleck

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck might have parted ways years ago, but this Thanksgiving, their co-parenting bond took center stage. The amicable exes, alongside their three children Violet, Seraphina and Samuel, teamed up to serve meals to the homeless on Thursday, Nov. 28—and their display of unity comes just two weeks after Garner revealed a favorite quote from her mother about trying to change men.

Los Angeles homelessness charity The Midnight Mission shared a photo of Affleck, 52, and Garner, 52, on their Instagram account, writing, "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."

The family—including Seraphine, 15, Samuel, 12 and Violet, who will turn 19 on Sunday, Dec. 1—dished out Thanksgiving meals to those less fortunate, and the Argo star took to the charity's Instagram account to share his thoughts on the experience.

"I've been involved with the Midnight Mission for a while," the apron-wearing actor said into a microphone, continuing he "has a lot of respect for the organization."

"I had a chance today to bring down my kids and let them help out, too, which I think is really valuable for them," he added as footage of the Afflecks serving meals played in the Reel.

Their family outing comes after the 13 Going on 30 star, 52, chatted with close friend Molly Sims on a Nov. 12 episode of her Lipstick on the Rim podcast with co-host Emese Gormley. When Garner was asked to share a favorite piece of advice or quote during a series of rapid-fire questions, she revealed some wise words her mother, Pat Garner, once told her.

“Never expect a man—don’t marry a man thinking you can change him,” she said, quipping that she was "really gonna work on that one." Garner, who is twice divorced, was married to Affleck for a decade before parting ways from the A-lister in 2018. She was previously married to Felicity actor Scott Foley, splitting from the star in 2004.

As for Affleck, he's about to join the twice-divorced club, too as he navigates a split from his second wife, Jennifer Lopez.

During the podcast, Sims asked how her friend managed to "remain so positive," and Garner admitted that she isn't as strong as some people might think, saying, "We have to allow ourselves to not be perfect all the time."

The Deadpool & Wolverine star emphasized the power of supportive friends when getting through the hard times. "Think of how many times I showed up at your house and just started crying," Garner added.

The actress also shared some of her other favorite "vintage Pat Garner" sayings during the episode, including a rather fitting one: “Happiness is your own responsibility.”