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Christmas
came early for dozens of homeless women as Atlanta Falcons defensive
tackler Jonathan Babineaux hand-delivered new shoes to them at the
Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children.
“I
love to give back and be a role model in my community,” says
Babineaux. “There are a lot of less fortunate people out there,
and the main thing is seeing smiles on people’s faces this time
of year.”
Soles4Souls, which
collects new and gently worn shoes to aid the needy worldwide,
facilitated the donation process. Since its inception in 2004,
Soles4Souls has distributed more than three million pairs of shoes in
more than 61 countries.
Babineaux
is also giving away 125 pairs of shoes to the Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation headquartered in Atlanta and the Babineaux Family
Foundation based in his hometown of Port Arthur, Tex. Barbara
Babineaux, his mother, will deliver the shoes in Texas.
“Growing
up, my mom used to struggle raising five kids on her own,” says
Babineaux. “And it kind of touched me that there are a lot of
women out there that need our help. I just wanted to show that there is
a guy out here that does care. I want them to be happy this time of
year.”
Babineaux started his
philanthropy four years ago, after he joined the National Football
League (NFL). “I love giving back to the community,” he
explains. “That’s something I always wanted to do.” —carlton wade
