Source: Philadelphia Eagles
The core areas of focus will center on affordable housing for low-income families, youth empowerment through hands-on activities and quality care for children undergoing treatment
The Philadelphia Eagles are teaming up with three new Eagles Care partners this year as part of the team’s ongoing commitment to supporting local non-profits and helping to deepen their overall impact on the Greater Philadelphia Region.
The three partners that the Eagles will be collaborating with in 2017 include: Dignity Housing, Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory and Ryan’s Case for Smiles.
“Being selected as an Eagles Care Partner will enable us to help more families cope with the trauma of life-changing childhood illnesses and injuries,” said Cindy Kerr, Executive Director of Ryan’s Case for Smiles. “We are excited to learn from the entire Eagles team and share best practices with the other community partners. This amazing opportunity will further amplify and strengthen our overall impact on the families we serve.”
The Eagles Care initiative, built off of the belief that strong non-profits build strong communities, connects the team with local charitable organizations and works to jointly increase their positive impact on the community. Through these season-long strategic partnerships, the Eagles will devote their attention, support and resources to each non-profit to ensure that their impact on the community can be further enhanced and strengthened.
Heading into its fifth year, the Eagles Care network has seen exponential growth thanks in large part to the positive results it has had on the region. At the end of the season, each non-profit partner becomes an extension of the Eagles Care family where they continue to work closely with the Eagles on community outreach events, while utilizing their newfound strengths to assist future Eagles Care partners.
“This partnership was a game changer for Rock to the Future,” said Jessica Craft, Executive Director of Rock to the Future. “Along with a national spotlight on Sunday Night Football, we used the opportunity to learn more about working with corporations, refined our messaging and branding, and had opportunities to provide our staff, supporters and students with unique experiences. Our students performed at the NFL Draft and Lincoln Financial Field, received the VIP treatment at Eagles games and even taught Eagles players how to play an instrument.”
**EDITOR’S NOTE: Dignity Housing, Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory and Ryan’s Case for Smiles will be guests at Eagles Training Camp on Monday, August 14 to celebrate the new partnership. For media wishing to attend Monday’s practice for the purpose of covering the partnership launch, please contact Anthony Bonagura in Eagles PR at abonagura@eagles.nfl.com or 215-339-6736.
2017 Eagles Care Partners
- Dignity Housing (Germantown area) is the first housing and supportive services program in the nation to be founded and guided by homeless people and activists. Its mission is to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty that confronts low-income families and individuals in the City of Philadelphia. Dignity provides safe, quality affordable subsidized housing, promoting self-sufficiency, and creating opportunities. The housing and social services organization currently manages an inventory of 58 units of affordable housing located in Northwest Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.DignityHousing.org.
- Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory (Frankford area) was founded in 1996 by Geoffrey McKonly, who believed disengaged youth needed a hands-on activity in a constructive environment to help them develop and apply academic skills. Nearly two decades later, the organization works to engage urban teens in hands-on boat building and on-water programming to nurture the problem solving, communication and collaboration skills needed to become confident, capable adults. For more information, please visit www.WoodenBoatFactory.org.
- Ryan’s Case for Smiles (Wayne, PA) is solely dedicated to helping kids feel better to heal better, and works to improve the quality of life of children and their families as they undergo treatment. Founded in 2007, Ryan’s Case for Smiles brings comfort and support to young patients and their families in hospitals around the globe. What started out with whimsical pillowcases that gave children an emotional boost during treatment has now turned into a program that embraces a child’s entire family so they can better navigate and cope with a very difficult experience and avoid long term emotional trauma. For more information, please visit www.CaseForSmiles.org.
Previous Eagles Care partners include: After School Activities Partnerships (2016-17), Living Beyond Breast Cancer (2016-17), Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (2016-17), Rock to the Future (2016-17), Summer Search Philadelphia (2016-17), Family Lives On (2015-16), Greener Partners (2015-16), Little Smiles (2015-16), Northern Children’s Services (2015-16), Steppingstone Scholars (2015-16), Center for Grieving Children (2014-15), Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia (2014-15), PA Horticultural Society (2014-15), Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia (2014-15), Simon’s Fund (2014-15), Bringing Hope Home (2013-14), Clearview Youth Football (2013-14), Cradles to Crayons (2013-14), Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger (2013-14) and Riverbend Environmental Center (2013-14).
For more information on the Eagles Care program, please visit www.PhiladelphiaEagles.com/community.
