Brian Dawkins has been retired from the NFL for 13 years, and in that time he has focused on building a strong legacy beyond football, reports WHYY.
Given his blessings, Dawkins feels responsible for blessing as many others as possible.
Five years ago, he launched his own nonprofit, the Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation. The crown jewel of the nonprofit is the Single Parent Families Grant Program, which launched in Philadelphia.
“We provide transformational moments for young people to be able to go after life in a different way,” said Dawkins.
Through the program, single-parent families can get up to $1,000 in grants, which can be used to pay for extracurricular activities that may be out of reach for many single-parent households.
Dawkins was influenced to help out single-parent families because of his own personal experience, where he grew up witnessing firsthand the challenges single-parent households face.
“I saw a lot of individuals in my neighborhood, a couple of friends I’ve lost to the streets— neither one of them had a father in the household,” he recalled. “I saw the moms working two or three jobs to make ends meet and the kids were left to raise themselves.”
Dawkins faced his own struggles while being raised by both parents and now wants to help others.
Read more about Brian Dawkins and his philanthropy in WHYY.
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