Miami Heat star Moe Harkless helped New York City families this holiday season with a monetary donation to cover rent and expenses for those in need.
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According to the Queens Eagle, the 27-year-old gave to the Last Resort Emergency Response Fund which assists families in his Queens, New York hometown. The fund is managed by the organization New Yorkers For Children and is in partnership with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. The news outlet reported his donation will cover rent and other expenses for families who are impacted by the coronavirus pandemic whether it be health or financial struggles.
“It was something I wanted to do to give back to the community that raised me,” Harkless said to the Eagle. “A lot of people were a lot worse off, and that’s just the reality. Those people are in my heart this holiday season.”
The organization shared gratitude for Harkless’ donation and dedication to giving back to his community.
“We are grateful to support Moe’s commitment to giving back to his hometown community and to ensuring that vulnerable youth in Queens are receiving much needed financial support,” said New Yorkers for Children executive director Saroya Friedman-Gonzalez to the news outlet.
According to the Queens Eagle, the fund has assisted over 3,285 people and families since April with almost $500,000 in direct cash support being received by nearly 1,000 youth who have aged out of foster care. The grants typically ranged from $400 to $800 and help cover expenses including rent, utility bills, food, and health needs.
Harkless has also worked to assist social justice causes since the year began. He partnered with The Prisoner Wine Company to raise funds for Black businesses and creatives and also launched his own organization, Black Lives Now. In a Q&A with theGrio, the athlete shared more about his mission to empower the Black community.
“I think there’s a lot we can do with it in the future. I came across a website not too long ago, officialblackwallstreet.com, and it really grabbed my attention. It’s a directory; a Yelp-type page for Black businesses. I see Black Lives Now expanding to something like this, which was really my main purpose for creating it in the first place. If things ever go back to normal, I’d like to do a couple of fundraiser events, wine tasting events, with the obvious intention to give back to Black-owned businesses in different ways,” he said.
As theGrio reported, NBA player Jrue Holiday was also in the giving spirit this holiday season. He announced that he would donate the remainder of his 2020 salary to Black-owned businesses. The Milwaukee Bucks player shared a photo of his family on Instagram while making the announcement.
Read More: Beyoncé donates $1 million to small Black-owned businesses
“With the COVID-19 Pandemic and heightened racial injustices in 2020, many of us have been looking for answers. Lauren & I found ourselves searching for ways to help our community at a time when they needed it most,” Holiday, 30, wrote on the social media platform according to the report. “Pledging the remainder of our 2020 NBA salary to small Black-owned businesses, nonprofits and initiatives is how we felt we could make a lasting impact.”
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