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In an age where athletes are sometimes perceived as flashy and arrogant, Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones served drumsticks and spaghetti to families, posed for pictures and even tossed the football around with the kids. For him, the spotlight is a way to raise awareness about Americans living in poverty.
He recently opened up about growing up homeless and how his past informs his generous spirit today.
Jones told reporters Wednesday he was "homeless from coming out of the hospital until I was a freshman in high school." As homeless shelters almost always have a three-month-stay rule. After 90 days, you have to get out and a young Jones and his mother Janet Jones were asked to leave a lot.
During those times they would scrape together money for cheap hotels around San Jose when shelters weren’t available.
“The hardest times was leaving the shelter and going from hotel to hotel because some nights you’d kind of ride (buses) all night or be up all night,’’ he said.
Jones sometimes was out on the streets begging for food.
“There was one time we were staying in a hotel and we didn’t have food and there was this pizza spot. I don’t know what got into me. I just went into the pizza spot and just cried and pleaded that we needed some food! And the dude gave me two large pizzas for free.”
The 15-year-old James Jones had been through enough. Jones left his mother’s side moved in with his grandmother.
His athletic performance in basketball and football attracted a scholarship to San Jose University and he was later drafted by the NFL.
Now, the NFL star is enjoying a successful career with the Super Bowl-bound Packers, but he hasn't forgotten the struggles of his early life -- and he uses celebrity and ample salary to doing what he can to help children in need.
Jones enjoys sharing his story with families at a local homeless shelter.
According to Reuters, Jones explained,
"As a little kid, you don't understand why you are there. When I go back to these homeless shelters and talk to these kids, I let them know that it is not your mother's fault and better days are ahead."
In his eyes nothing is more important than tackling the issue of homelessness, especially among children and youth. To consolidate his charitable efforts, Jones started the Love Jones 4 Kids Foundation to offer help to children in Jones' hometown San Jose, Calif. and his current city, Green Bay, Wisc. in 2008.
The foundation also partners with other nonprofits to support education, housing and other programs for poor and homeless youth.
在这个浮华和傲慢的时代,绿湾包装工队的明星球员詹姆斯·琼斯选择为贫困家庭奉上自己的爱心,提供鸡腿和意大利面条,与周围孩子们合影留念,甚至一起踢足球。对于他来说,聚光灯还应该用来提高人们对美国人生活在贫困中的认识。为了巩固他的慈善努力,琼斯成立Love Jones 4 Kids Foundation基金会,利用名人效应和他丰厚的收入为无家可归的儿童和青少年提供帮助。
He recently opened up about growing up homeless and how his past informs his generous spirit today.
Jones told reporters Wednesday he was "homeless from coming out of the hospital until I was a freshman in high school." As homeless shelters almost always have a three-month-stay rule. After 90 days, you have to get out and a young Jones and his mother Janet Jones were asked to leave a lot.
During those times they would scrape together money for cheap hotels around San Jose when shelters weren’t available.
“The hardest times was leaving the shelter and going from hotel to hotel because some nights you’d kind of ride (buses) all night or be up all night,’’ he said.
Jones sometimes was out on the streets begging for food.
“There was one time we were staying in a hotel and we didn’t have food and there was this pizza spot. I don’t know what got into me. I just went into the pizza spot and just cried and pleaded that we needed some food! And the dude gave me two large pizzas for free.”
The 15-year-old James Jones had been through enough. Jones left his mother’s side moved in with his grandmother.
His athletic performance in basketball and football attracted a scholarship to San Jose University and he was later drafted by the NFL.
Now, the NFL star is enjoying a successful career with the Super Bowl-bound Packers, but he hasn't forgotten the struggles of his early life -- and he uses celebrity and ample salary to doing what he can to help children in need.
Jones enjoys sharing his story with families at a local homeless shelter.
According to Reuters, Jones explained,
"As a little kid, you don't understand why you are there. When I go back to these homeless shelters and talk to these kids, I let them know that it is not your mother's fault and better days are ahead."
In his eyes nothing is more important than tackling the issue of homelessness, especially among children and youth. To consolidate his charitable efforts, Jones started the Love Jones 4 Kids Foundation to offer help to children in Jones' hometown San Jose, Calif. and his current city, Green Bay, Wisc. in 2008.
The foundation also partners with other nonprofits to support education, housing and other programs for poor and homeless youth.
在这个浮华和傲慢的时代,绿湾包装工队的明星球员詹姆斯·琼斯选择为贫困家庭奉上自己的爱心,提供鸡腿和意大利面条,与周围孩子们合影留念,甚至一起踢足球。对于他来说,聚光灯还应该用来提高人们对美国人生活在贫困中的认识。为了巩固他的慈善努力,琼斯成立Love Jones 4 Kids Foundation基金会,利用名人效应和他丰厚的收入为无家可归的儿童和青少年提供帮助。