Eagles donate more than $400,000 to local nonprofits promoting violence prevention, financial literacy
PHILADELPHIA - As gun violence continues to plague Philadelphia, a city with more than 500 homicides two years in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles are working to help fight the problem.
The team donated thousands to local nonprofit organizations working to fight gun violence as part of its End Philly Gun Violence campaign.
The Eagles Social Justice Fund donated $410,350 in grants to local nonprofits that support initiatives aiming to curb gun violence.
According to the team, $300,000 will support violence prevention programs that give well-paying jobs to people affected by violence, including Achieve Ability, CHOP Center for Violence Prevention, Collective Climb Restorative Community Project, Drexel University Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice, Mothers in Charge and the Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout.
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The team also says $110,350 will go to programs that give children and adults knowledge to increase financial literacy. Those programs include Bridges to Wealth, One Day at a Time and Vested In.
"In Philadelphia, a lot of the violence that we are seeing starts with being in poverty," Eagles running back Miles Sanders said. "We're in a time in this country where a lot of our youth, especially, are at risk. This issue hits home for me because I came from a similar type of environment, and I know what it takes to get out of those situations. A lot of these kids look up to guys like us, and it's our responsibility to provide a source of inspiration for them and show them there is a way out."