NEWS & PRESS
Mavs forward Shawn Marion to deliver Christmas presents to seven single mother families
Friday, December 25, 2009 9 a.m.
“I am doing this for single parent families on Christmas Day because I know what it feels like to grow up and have sneakers so old and worn that I had to avoid puddles so that the socks protruding through the soles of my shoes would not get soaked because my mother could not afford new sneakers,” said Marion. “I know what it feels like to have nothing. My mom is a wonderful and strong woman who worked two jobs for a long time to put food on the table to feed us. To come from nothing to something is a blessing and I want to be a blessing to others.”
TESTIMONIALS
On December 25, 2009, Shawn delivered Christmas gifts to Ms. Kathyren Jackson and her two children. At the time, Ms. Jackson was unemployed and in need of help.
To lift her spirits and to help her provide for her kids, The Shawn Marion Foundation was able to fund her rent and her bus pass fees for the month. These were the exact resources she needed to get back on her feet.
OUR MISSION
Dallas Mavericks star Shawn Marion established The Shawn Marion Foundation at The Giving Back Fund to provide life-changing opportunities and experiences to single parent families.
STRATEGY
Our initial focus is on providing college scholarships to single parents and in doing so, helping to break the cycle of low paying jobs and limited opportunities. We will also be accepting grant application from community-based nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area who are working to improve the lives of single parent families.
GRANT & SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES
The Shawn Marion Foundation is currently in the process of creating scholarship and grant guidelines and is not yet accepting applications.
We will distribute our first scholarships to applicants attending University of Nevada Las Vegas and our first grants in the Chicago area. Our long-term plans are to make these national programs.