Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Lions have announced the 2024 recipients of their social justice initiative, Detroit Lions Inspire Change. The program, launched by Lions players and ownership after the 2018 NFL season, will distribute $471,000 in grants to six Metro Detroit organizations this year.

"Since launching the Inspire Change initiative in 2018, we as a unified locker room have been able to provide support to dozens of groups here in our city who are doing important work," said Lions T Taylor Decker. "The special platform we have allows us to take action and contribute toward causes that have personal meaning to us as players."

This year's grantees include Alternatives for Girls, Athletes for Charity, Detroit Phoenix Center, Downtown Boxing Gym, Lomas Brown Jr. Foundation, and The Yunion. These organizations were selected by current Lions players for their significant impact on the Detroit community.

"As a former Detroit Lion and a community activist, to have the support of the Detroit Lions players and the organization gives me the passion and the extra resources to go out and impact more kids and families," said Lions Legend OT Lomas Brown, founder of Lomas Brown Jr. Foundation. "There is great pride in knowing that the impact being made in the community by all our organizations is appreciated by this young generation of players."

Details on how each organization plans to utilize their grant funds are as follows:

- **Alternatives For Girls**: This organization aids girls and young women experiencing homelessness or other risks by helping them avoid violence, early pregnancy, and exploitation. They plan to use their grant for sustaining and enhancing their Shelter and Transitional Living project.

- **Athletes for Charity**: Dedicated to improving lives through financial resources and information dissemination, they will use their funds for STEM and literacy initiatives; mentoring supplies; student contests; field trip costs; rewards for academic excellence; equipment like tablets and laptops; and additional program-related expenses.

- **Detroit Phoenix Center**: Serving underserved youth aged 13-24 with services such as a daily drop-in center and emergency crisis housing, they aim to expand their SOAR Academic Support Program with their grant.

- **Downtown Boxing Gym**: Providing mentorship, tutoring, enrichment programs, college readiness skills among others through Books Before Boxing programming will be supported using these funds.

- **Lomas Brown Jr. Foundation**: Focused on providing scholarships to college-bound high school students along with educational camps. They intend to purchase laptops, food supplies among other necessities with this grant.

- **The Yunion**: Offering life-changing programs aimed at countering negative cultural influences on youth through innovative prevention programming plans to sustain their Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy using these funds.