By Lisa Zimmerman | Engagement Insider
Thomas Davis knows what it’s like to do without. He knows what it’s like, as a child, to wake up on Christmas morning and find that there are no gifts. So, as soon as the Carolina Panthers linebacker had the means, his first act was to help others who are in the position he was in not too long ago.
Davis grew up in the small town of Shellman, Georgia, whose population is just under 1200 with 33 percent of the residents living beneath the poverty level. More than 25 percent of the households are run by single mothers. Davis was a part of that demographic. He and his sister were raised by a single mother who struggled to keep a job and put food on the table.
Like many children, Davis blamed himself on those Christmases when Santa Claus didn’t show up. “There were some Christmases where she didn’t have the money,” Davis recalled. “We woke up and there were no gifts. You think you weren’t good enough to receive things.”
That memory is what has inspired Davis to do what he does now. “I didn’t want other kids to go through what I went through.”
In 2008, Davis launched The Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation. The organization’s mission is to help support and encourage underprivileged children so that they might reach their goals and dreams. Davis shares his own story with the children he works with and can feel the connection and impact he makes when they realize that he truly understands their lives.
Davis’ partner in the foundation is his wife, Kelly, who serves as the executive director. Together, with their volunteer board of directors, they build and plan their events and programs – almost all of which are entirely funded by the couple. In addition to Shellman, they provide support in Kelly’s home town in South Carolina, as well as in Charlotte, North Carolina, the home of the Panthers.
And when Davis commits to something, he really commits to something. The foundation had already planned a gift-buying and distributing trip to Shellman on one of his Tuesday off-days in December, prior to the holidays. However, a teammate held his charity fundraiser the night before in Charlotte. So, Davis attended the fundraiser and then he and Kelly drove through the night to Shellman where they rented a truck, went to a local store, purchased 180 gifts, loaded them into the truck themselves and went and distributed the gifts to the children in need. Davis was back at the Panthers’ facility for meetings at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
However, as someone who balances the responsibilities of not just his job and the foundation, but also his four children ages, four, seven, 11 and 12, he’s adept at coping. “I drank two cups of coffee and it got me through,” he said with a laugh.
Among the events they do annually are Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for families in need. The event is catered with Davis, the board members and volunteers doing all the preparation of the event and acting as servers.
One of his primarily children-focused programs is the foundation’s Youth Leadership Academy, which meets for eight weeks during the winter and spring. It is a mentoring program and Davis and his wife work directly with the students, serving as mentors. Each year the foundation provides a scholarship for two of its graduates to attend college.
Davis spends a lot of time talking to his young mentees about the importance of education, so he put his money where his mouth was and in 2011, after six years in the NFL, he finally completed his degree in housing and consumer economics from the University of Georgia.
Davis has plans for his foundation beyond his playing years. Because his goal is to always remain hands-on, for now it remains a size that is manageable as it relates to his schedule and ability to commit time. Once he retires, he hopes to be able to expand its reach.
He is aware that many athletes start foundations, which then taper off upon their retirement. “I’m going to keep moving,” he said. “We’re going to do it permanently. We can make it bigger when I commit more time to it.”
But for now, there is one lesson, which he’s learned and that he passes along to his own children and those he interacts with.
“It’s about giving back, not receiving.”
For more information about the Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation: www.defendingdreams.org