Jennifer Garner hosted a food drive at home for her 50th birthday

Jennifer Garner, a long-time advocate of little acts of kindness, marked her 50th birthday this week by giving back to the community. The "13 Going on 30" star reportedly celebrated the milestone by hosting a food drive at her house instead of throwing a traditional party for her peers in the entertainment industry. According to TMZ, Garner was spotted sporting radiant smiles on Sunday as she turned her house into a drop-off spot for food while her boyfriend, John Miller, and 16-year-old daughter, Violet, helped her out.

Meanwhile, the actress received an outpouring of love from some of her famous friends on social media. Several big names in Hollywood—including Reese Witherspoon, Rita Wilson, Maria Shriver and Ina Garten—sent Garner warm birthday wishes after the star shared a video on Instagram of various farm animals jumping around joyfully with a text overlay that reads: "Waking up on my birthday." Witherspoon, 46, commented: "Happiest Birthday to our happy little farm girl!" Meanwhile, Wilson, 65, wrote: "Happy Birthday sweet Jen! The best is yet to come." Garten, 74, wished the star by commenting: "Happy, Happy Birthday!!! Sending lots of love."

Her birthday food drive isn't the only act of kindness we’ve seen from Garner. Last month, the star took to Instagram to share a simple tip for giving back to the community and possibly making a huge difference in someone's life. In a short video, the actor filled a Ziploc bag with everyday items like socks, tissues, granola bars and toothbrushes before handing them out to people experiencing homelessness. "Random act of kindness: gather these essentials in a quart-sized Ziploc bag and keep them in your car to give away when you see someone in need. Inspired by my kind friend, @whitneyformt," Garner captioned her post.

Aside from using the platform to promote the idea of being kind to those around us, Garner also practices it in real life by performing kind gestures for random people. According to TODAY, in a video shared on her Instagram Story in March, the star purchased coffee for customers at Starbucks and tipped employees. "May I please have a mint tea grande?" Garner asked a barista before giving the employee money to cover the orders of customers behind her in line. "If I give you this to pay for the people behind me, and then this for you guys. So, that's for you guys. This is just to pay for whoever is behind me. Is that OK? Just tell them to 'have a good day!' and pass it on." In a text overlay on the video, Garner emphasized the importance of good deeds. "Coffee is always a worthwhile little act of kindness," it read.

Back in January, the actress baked and delivered homemade cookies to staff members at the LAC+USC Medical Center’s Department of Emergency Medicine, which is affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "I'm so sorry to take you away," the actor told the medical professionals once inside. "I appreciate you," she added, before taking a group photo with everyone as one staff member held Garner's basket of treats for all to see. "#FirstResponders are still in the thick of it and miles past burn out," the "Elektra" star captioned the clip shared on TikTok. "We see you and appreciate you! (Thank you, #LACUSC Emergency Med!)"

"These random acts of kindness are happening all around us, all the time, everywhere," Garner told PEOPLE in 2019. "The smallest acts—picking up trash at a local park, volunteering at a shelter, buying a cup of coffee for someone who needs it—make the world a happier, more gentle place... Kindness is contagious, truly."