Cobie Smulders: Making a Difference for Children in Crisis (2024)

Cobie Smulders reading a book to children © Courtesy of Save the Children

By Raye Mocioiu

For over a century, Save the Children has been at the forefront of the fight for children’s rights, ensuring that every child, no matter where they are, has the right to survive and thrive. It’s an important mission but by no means an easy one.

“Children around the world are growing up amidst endless difficulties: violence, climate change, poverty, food instability—it’s daunting. This year alone, nearly 300 million people, including millions of children, will need urgent support,” explained Save the Children Ambassador and Canadian actress Cobie Smulders.

Known for her beloved roles in How I Met Your Mother and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Smulders has been involved with Save the Children since 2018, actively contributing to the organization’s campaigns to support children and families in the U.S., Canada, and across the globe.

“I was introduced to Save the Children years ago through one of their local programs in the Los Angeles area that emphasizes early childhood education,” she said. “I’ve always been in awe of the phenomenal humanitarian aid efforts that Save the Children does globally and was thrilled to learn that their work extends to kids and families in my own community. I was so blown away by the life-changing impact that their early childhood education programs have on communities around the world and was eager to get involved—I feel so lucky to bolster the amazing work they do as an Ambassador.”

A Critical Mission

Save the Children has a long history of leading child-focused emergency responses around the world, and Smulders has been a steadfast supporter since joining forces with the organization. In 2023 alone, the organization helped over 9.3 million children in active conflict zones like Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as well as in Afghanistan and Haiti, where humanitarian assistance is also desperately needed.

“Children in every country worldwide experience varying losses of fundamental human rights, as well as abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence,” explained Smulders. “Save the Children prioritizes child protection in all its work, especially during crises and conflicts when children are most at risk.”

The organization works with governments, international organizations, and local community partners to implement protective laws and policies, alter detrimental social and cultural practices, and improve communities’ capacity to protect their children. From setting up emergency programs to delivering essential health services, educational materials, and psychosocial support, Save the Children addresses the many challenges children face.

Championing Education for Girls

“The power of an education is magical—but it isn’t a given for kids around the world,” said Smulders.

Education is a powerful tool that can lift girls out of poverty, allowing them to become exceptional women who change the course of their lives and communities. However, when a family faces financial hardship, often one of the first things sacrificed is a child’s education. Out of school, a child is more vulnerable to exploitation and violence.

“Especially for young girls, staying in school very often delays underage marriage and prepubescent childbirth, providing girls with an opportunity to choose their own path, become self-sufficient and pursue their dreams,” she continued.

Around the world, girls in conflict zones face heightened risks, from forced marriage to sexual and gender-based violence. For these girls, the impacts of conflict often remain unseen and unheard. Save the Children’s Girls in Crisis campaign seeks to bring visibility to their struggles and ensure their stories are told. Smulders has been a vocal advocate of this campaign, shedding light on the harsh realities faced by girls living in war-torn areas, where they are more likely to skip meals and be denied education.

The power of an education is magical—but it isn’t a given for kids around the world...for young girls, staying in school very often delays underage marriage and prepubescent childbirth, providing girls with an opportunity to choose their own path, become self-sufficient and pursue their dreams.— Cobie Smulders

Another of Smulders’ key focuses is supporting the education of girls through Save the Children’s “Gifts of Joy” campaign. Through this campaign, supporters can make life-changing contributions by gifting educational opportunities to girls in need.

“When you donate to Gifts of Joy, you bring hope, practical help and lasting change to children living in poverty and crisis. These gifts can save children’s lives, improve their livelihoods, and transform their futures,” she said.

Comfort in Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of millions of children, disrupting their education, healthcare, and overall well-being. The most vulnerable children, especially those in war zones, refugee camps, and remote Indigenous communities in Canada, were hit the hardest. Smulders joined Save the Children’s Save With Stories campaign, which aimed to raise funds to support children affected by the pandemic.

“Schools were shut down, and millions of kids worldwide were stuck at home without pivotal access to school lunches, books, and the daily resources many families depend on,” Smulders shared.

Save the Children’s #SAVEWITHSTORIES fundraising campaign, in collaboration with No Kid Hungry, partnered with athletes, musicians, actors, and other public figures to read stories online to engage kids in a great book and bring them a bit of joy.

“Over 100 stories were read to kids online; I read Lola the Lollipop Fairy by Tim Bugbird,” she said.

The Save with Stories fundraiser was a massive success—the proceeds allowed Save the Children to provide additional food and educational resources to children in hundreds of school communities nationwide. Shortly after her participation in Save with Stories, and inspired by the campaign, Smulders brought back her iconic How I Met Your Mother character, Robin Sparkles, to perform a quarantine-themed version of her hit song “Let’s Go to the Mall.”

“I took a journey down memory lane and created a COVID-themed version of ‘Let’s Go To The Mall,’ a song that my character’s Canadian pop star alter ego Robin Sparkles sang,” Smulders shared. “With the help of How I Met Your Mother creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, as well as genius composer Brian Kim, we called it ‘Let’s All Stay Home’ and shared it on socials, hoping it would bring people a bit of joy.”

More than just bringing joy to viewers, the playful parody fuelled donations for Save the Children, Canada Helps, and the Daily Bread Food Bank, supporting children and families struggling during the crisis.

Get Involved

“Anytime I visit a Save the Children program and have the chance to see the work in action, the need being met feels so critical,” said Smulders. “Whether it’s seeing families who struggle with food insecurity being supported by the organization’s hunger programs so that kids’ bellies are full and they’re ready to learn or witnessing the generational impact that Save the Children’s early childhood education programs have on communities around the world—the work is critical and life-changing for kids and their families.”

There’s no shortage of crises and challenges facing kids and families worldwide. Children are at risk, whether from conflict, climate change, poverty or a combination of all those and more. Global hunger, too, adds to the issue.

Smulders shares that during the giving season, a time especially marked by meals with loved ones, her attention shifts towards Save the Children’s campaign to raise awareness of the hunger crisis.

“Towards the end of the year, we always focus on the growing hunger crisis that affects kids worldwide,” she said. “Kids can’t learn, play, or dream on empty stomachs. That’s why Save the Children is committed to helping fight food insecurity and ensuring that every child has the chance to thrive.

“Especially during the holiday season when many people would like to help but aren’t sure how—supporting global hunger is a tangible way to get involved with Save the Children programs and make an immediate difference in kids’ lives.”

You can learn more about how you can help at savethechildren.ca/gifts

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