Matt Ryan‘s mission is not finished. The former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons for 13 seasons, an organization Ryan launched in the summer of 2020 is still going strong.
ATL: Advance The Lives, sent its most recent report to its supporters on Oct. 19. The vision of the organization is to build “an Atlanta where every Black child has equal access to opportunities” and a mission “to alleviate structural barriers to Black youth success by working with after school programs to increase the social capital of Black youth and their families,” the report reads.
The Black youth the organization aims to assist are from ages 5-24. Ryan, who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts, started the organization shortly after the unrest in the summer of 2020. In addition to Ryan and his wife’s, Sarah’s, donations, the organization has raised over a million dollars.
“It will all go to help support the Black community in Atlanta,” Ryan wrote on the group’s GoFundMe. “I’m so moved by how many people have joined me in this mission, but we still have work to do.”
So far, the organization has made a total donation of $180,000 to the Overcoming Barriers Grant Program, which helps Black youngsters get consistent access to food, a place to wash their clothes and “reliable transportation and access to everyday materials that will enhance their learning experiences.”
Advance The Lives has also partnered with the Atlanta Police Foundation at the Promise Youth Center and have given the organization $65,000. The funds have helped purchased a passenger van and the development of their “new workforce development program” that launched in February. The At-Promise Center is for police to build connections with young people.
Advance The Lives has also donated grants to Black Man Lab, Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive, Helping Empower Youth!, L.E.A.D., Next Generation Men & Women, Raising Expectations, Soccer In The Streets, The Study Hall and PAACT Learning Spaces.
In development for Advance The Lives is the ATL Black Youth Support Study Pilot. The anticipated launch for the study is January 2023. The study’s objective is to develop potential solutions to “effectively address the needs of Black youth and families in Atlanta.”
