Coat Drive Provides Warmth And Hope
Dec 13 | Football
Flanked by seven of his teammates, rising-junior defensive back Naijee Jones seized on an opportunity to accomplish a goal he set out for himself back in August. He once found himself in a position where a bad decision left his football future in question, but the recipient of a second chance, Jones wanted to make an impact. He was committed to giving back and sharing a message to a younger generation.
"I actually wanted to do it at the beginning of the year," said Jones. "I wanted to do a back-to-school drive, but I couldn't get around to it because of the season. It was one of my goals and my priority to give back because I was given a second chance."
Joined by fellow Scarlet Knights, Tim Barrow, Stanley King, Bo Melton, Isaih Pacheco, Mohamed Toure, Donald Williams and Everett Wormley, Jones delivered over 500 coats, hats and gloves to the Freedom Prep Elementary School in his hometown, Camden, New Jersey.
"It means the world to have Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and the players visit Freedom Prep Elementary," said Latoya Pearson, Principal at Freedom Prep Elementary School. "So many of our scholars play little league sports and aspire to play football and other sports at the college level.
"The coach and players really stressed the importance of giving your all in school and achieving good grades," Pearson added "Democracy Prep's goal is to prepare scholars for the college of their choice. It was an amazing experience to have the Rutgers players who were all from south jersey give back to the community of Camden. The team donated coats, hats, gloves, and raised money to purchase scholar uniforms. We are truly thankful for their support and partnership, and look forward to working with them again in the future."
It was the culmination of a coat drive that Jones organized with the help of Roosevelt Boone, Rutgers Director of Player Engagement. They were also able to deliver a check for $700 with the assistance of Delta's Restaurant in New Brunswick, which donated 15 percent of proceeds to purchase new uniforms for students at Freedom Prep.
Boone has organized other events with Rutgers football players in the past, including "Cuts4Carla," which he planned with Anthony Marshall. The pair had their heads shaved by children from Embrace Kids Foundation to raise awareness for all forms of cancer. He sees how events like these can have an impact on the players in the program, especially when they are intimately involved in the planning process.
"It's an investment in the lives of children growing up in the same environment many of our players did," said Boone. "You never know what your visit or conversation can mean for others."
In addition to providing tangible items like coats, hats and gloves, which are desperately needed in underserved communities during the winter season, it was equally important to Jones that he could leave the children with a message of hope, determination and drive.
"Teach them that it's possible," said Jones of his message to Freedom Prep students. "They come from the same background as me. I went to elementary school out there too and I was their age before, so I want to let them know that I'm [at Rutgers] and they can do it also. Just because they're from the inner-city doesn't take away how special they are."
The reception that Jones and his teammates received left them in awe.
"All the kids were going crazy, they couldn't believe we were all there," said Jones. "The energy in the room was outstanding. It felt like being in the stadium. It had that type of vibe to it and all of my teammates enjoyed it.
"Then when coach Schiano came in, it really went up a notch," Jones added. "The way he took control of the mic and got the kids going with the R-U chant was incredible."
Jones was able to accomplish one of his goals in giving back to the community but this is just the beginning for him and his teammates. They have pledged to each other that next year's coat drive will be bigger and each year, bigger than that.
"It was really fun," said Jones. "The whole ride there we were excited and the whole ride back we couldn't stop talking about it. To have my teammates there, it was an unforgettable experience. We all talked about doing it again and making it an even better experience. That's definitely the plan for us."
"I actually wanted to do it at the beginning of the year," said Jones. "I wanted to do a back-to-school drive, but I couldn't get around to it because of the season. It was one of my goals and my priority to give back because I was given a second chance."
Joined by fellow Scarlet Knights, Tim Barrow, Stanley King, Bo Melton, Isaih Pacheco, Mohamed Toure, Donald Williams and Everett Wormley, Jones delivered over 500 coats, hats and gloves to the Freedom Prep Elementary School in his hometown, Camden, New Jersey.
"It means the world to have Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and the players visit Freedom Prep Elementary," said Latoya Pearson, Principal at Freedom Prep Elementary School. "So many of our scholars play little league sports and aspire to play football and other sports at the college level.
"The coach and players really stressed the importance of giving your all in school and achieving good grades," Pearson added "Democracy Prep's goal is to prepare scholars for the college of their choice. It was an amazing experience to have the Rutgers players who were all from south jersey give back to the community of Camden. The team donated coats, hats, gloves, and raised money to purchase scholar uniforms. We are truly thankful for their support and partnership, and look forward to working with them again in the future."
It was the culmination of a coat drive that Jones organized with the help of Roosevelt Boone, Rutgers Director of Player Engagement. They were also able to deliver a check for $700 with the assistance of Delta's Restaurant in New Brunswick, which donated 15 percent of proceeds to purchase new uniforms for students at Freedom Prep.
Boone has organized other events with Rutgers football players in the past, including "Cuts4Carla," which he planned with Anthony Marshall. The pair had their heads shaved by children from Embrace Kids Foundation to raise awareness for all forms of cancer. He sees how events like these can have an impact on the players in the program, especially when they are intimately involved in the planning process.
"It's an investment in the lives of children growing up in the same environment many of our players did," said Boone. "You never know what your visit or conversation can mean for others."
In addition to providing tangible items like coats, hats and gloves, which are desperately needed in underserved communities during the winter season, it was equally important to Jones that he could leave the children with a message of hope, determination and drive.
"Teach them that it's possible," said Jones of his message to Freedom Prep students. "They come from the same background as me. I went to elementary school out there too and I was their age before, so I want to let them know that I'm [at Rutgers] and they can do it also. Just because they're from the inner-city doesn't take away how special they are."
The reception that Jones and his teammates received left them in awe.
"Then when coach Schiano came in, it really went up a notch," Jones added. "The way he took control of the mic and got the kids going with the R-U chant was incredible."
Jones was able to accomplish one of his goals in giving back to the community but this is just the beginning for him and his teammates. They have pledged to each other that next year's coat drive will be bigger and each year, bigger than that.
"It was really fun," said Jones. "The whole ride there we were excited and the whole ride back we couldn't stop talking about it. To have my teammates there, it was an unforgettable experience. We all talked about doing it again and making it an even better experience. That's definitely the plan for us."
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