Children of Seattle's Union Gospel Mission line up to meet Chancellor and receive their backpacks filled with school supplies.
I can definitely relate to the stress these families feel as the new school year approaches, and I am happy to provide assistance to lighten the financial burden for parents.
Seattle, Wash. (PRWEB) August 20, 2013
NFL Star Safety Kam Chancellor kicked off two local back-to-school supply drive initiatives with a visit to Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission on August 19. Through the Kam Cares Foundation, Chancellor donated $5,000 to the Mission to provide backpacks and supplies for children affiliated with organization’s summer and afterschool programs.
“The Mission is constantly seeking to partner with organizations and prominent figures in the community to support our efforts to eradicate poverty and enhance the lives of the youth in our community,” said Jeff Lilley, President of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. “Kam’s partnership with the Mission has been an invaluable component to our programs that target high-risk youth from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and we are grateful for his fervent commitment to service.”
Chancellor surprised a room full of 650 children and their families at the Mission’s Youth Services Gym in Rainier Valley – assisting staff with the backpack distribution and offering a few hugs, handshakes, and words of encouragement to the children and their families. Children combed through their new backpacks filled with composition notebooks, pencils, crayons, rulers, folders, and other essential school supplies.
“It feels good to partner with organizations that share my passion for serving children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Chancellor. “I can definitely relate to the stress these families feel as the new school year approaches, and I am happy to provide assistance to lighten the financial burden for parents, and at the same time give their children a fair opportunity to succeed in school.”
In addition to supplies, five children discovered a “Willy Wonka-style” golden ticket, which entitles them to a visit with Chancellor to the Seahawks training facility.
Kam Cares Foundation also donated $5,000 to the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc. to provide backpacks and school supplies for children in the Park Place community – one of Norfolk’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and former home to Chancellor and his family.. The ULHR has teamed with the Park Place Community Center to identify approximately 200 children facing economic hardships.
“Community partnerships and volunteer efforts are fundamental to the success of the Urban League, and our partnership with the Kam Cares Foundation allows us to expand our reach into new underserved communities,” said Yvette Young, Vice President of Programs & Operations, Urban League of Hampton Roads. “Through our back-to-school program, we are equipping students with the tools they need to excel and helping to relieve common anxieties associated with feelings of unpreparedness.”
To encourage participation and support from the community, the ULHR has also launched a public donation drive. Local businesses and community residents are encouraged to provide supplies or monetary donations. The ULHR will accept donations at its offices in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, as well as at the McDonald’s on St. Pauls Blvd. in Downtown Norfolk. Donors that bring supplies or monetary donations on August 27 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. will receive a complimentary sample of McDonald’s new Blueberry Pomegranate or Mango Pineapple smoothie.
Kam Cares Foundation and the Urban League of Hampton Roads will distribute the backpacks and school supplies on August 29 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Park Place Community Center.
The foundation’s back-to-school events are two of several charitable efforts initiated by Chancellor this summer. The foundation also hosted its Fourth Annual Seven Cities Family & Friends Memorial Day Cookout and Bike Rally and Academic Excellence Award Ceremony this summer – both in the Hampton Roads area.
Additional ULHR Event Details:
Donation Drive Event
August 27, 2013
5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
McDonald’s
400 St. Pauls Blvd. Norfolk, Va. 23510
Additional Donation Opportunities
August 12 – 28, 2013 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Drop-Off Locations
Urban League – Main Office 5700 Thurston Ave., Suite 101 Virginia Beach, Va. 23455
Urban League – Norfolk Office 830 Goff Street
Norfolk, Va. 23504
About the Kam Cares Foundation
Kam Cares Foundation was established in 2012 to help build communities through the prudent support of 501c3 organizations with programs that have a direct impact on the under-served and less fortunate. The foundation’s mission is to contribute to the local & global community – demonstrating a commitment to investing value that will show a return to those in the community. Kam Cares seeks to serve children from single parent homes and lower socio-economic backgrounds, specifically in Kam Chancellor’s hometown of Hampton Roads, Va. and his team’s home in Seattle, Wash. For more information visit http://www.kchancellor.com .
About Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission
Seattle's Union Gospel Mission provides emergency care and long-term recovery services to hurting and homeless people in the greater Seattle area. For more than 80 years, the Mission has been dedicated to serving, rescuing and transforming those in greatest need through the grace of Jesus Christ. For more information visit http://www.ugm.org .
About the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc.
The mission of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc. (ULHR) is to enable African Americans and others to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power and civil rights. The ULHR implements its mission by providing services and programs in education, employment, health, and housing to Hampton Roads communities through direct services, advocacy, research, policy analysis, community mobilization, and collaboration throughout communities. For more information visit http://www.ulhr.org .
###