Eagles Legend Brian Dawkins Launches Scholarship Program for Single-Parent Families
Philadelphia Eagles legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Brian Dawkins has announced his charitable initiative, which he says will empower single-parent families in Philadelphia.
Dawkins’ Single-Parent Families initiative, created in 2022, will empower these families through scholarships and experiences. This initiative, created under his nonprofit, the Impact Foundation, awards grants to support underserved youth. Through the Impact Foundation, $160,000 has been provided as scholarship money for 175 youths from single-parent homes, ages 5 to 18.
The program’s popularity has grown since its inception. Applications have increased dramatically, from 50 and 60 to nearly 500 for the latest scholarship cycle.
Dawkins said he was inspired to create this initiative based on personal struggles with substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. Although he is not from a single-parent household, Dawkins was inspired to create the program by observing his challenges with friends living in single-income families.
“It is truly transformational,” said Diesha Fowlkes-Price, a grant recipient who used grant funds to help pay for a $3,300 educational trip to California for her 12-year-old daughter with autism, Saadiya Price. “It allows a child to see beyond what’s right in front of them and helps them get out of their comfort zone,” she noted in a Philadelphia Inquirer report.
Today, Dawkins’ foundation also focuses on “cerebral wellness” by teaching adults and kids how to use pain to recognize and move past challenging situations. Dawkins, now a Christian minister, said his troubles led him to God, and God helped him see his purpose.
“My hope for the city is people take that same passion of the [Super Bowl] parade into their workforce and into their different spheres of influence,” Dawkins said. “It is my prayer they don’t leave the winning at the parade.”
Dawkins’ philanthropy was honored in 2009 when he received the Byron “Whizzer” White Award, given annually to an NFL player who demonstrates commitment to community service and his team.
