John Wall made Washington, D.C. his second home, and Ward 8 in particular became his neighbourhood. Through the John Wall Family Foundation he has spent a decade showing up for the same communities: homeless children starting school, families struggling with rent, and the frontline workers who held the city together in a crisis.
$400,000 for Bright Beginnings
Wall surprised Bright Beginnings, a child and family development centre serving children experiencing homelessness, with a $400,000 donation, the largest individual contribution in the organisation's history. The gift helped the centre build a new learning centre in Southeast Washington that opened in 2018, serving children and supporting their parents with jobs, housing and education.
The 202 Assist
When the pandemic hit, Wall's foundation launched the 202 Assist fundraiser to pay rent for Ward 8 families at risk of losing their homes. Wall seeded it with $100,000 of his own money against a $300,000 goal, and the community responded: the four week campaign raised over $540,000, distributed with local nonprofits Lydia's House and Housing Counseling Services.
Masks and Meals
In April 2020 the foundation delivered 2,300 N95 masks and 600 Chick-fil-A meals to frontline workers at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and UNC Rex Healthcare, and supplied students at Bright Beginnings with needed items from the centre's emergency wish list.
Back to School
Wall's foundation runs back to school efforts that put backpacks and supplies directly into children's hands, in Washington and in Raleigh, North Carolina, the city where he grew up. For Wall, the school year is where his community work always starts.
Miyah's Troupe
Wall formed a close bond with DaMiyah Telemaque-Nelson, a five year old fan fighting Burkitt's lymphoma, even writing her name on his shoes during games. After she passed away, he sponsored the Miyah's Troupe walking team and joined her family in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk in Washington.
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