Andrew Whitworth has been named the Rams’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in each of the last three years, and he’s already on his way to earning another nomination in 2021. The veteran left tackle is once again doing what he can to help those in need, announcing a new program to support families in difficult housing situations in both Louisiana and Los Angeles.
As part of the “Big Whit Homes for LA Families” program, Whitworth will donate $20,000 after every Rams home game this season to repair homes in Louisiana, as well as helping move families in Los Angeles into homes.
Whitworth is partnering with St. Joseph Center, LA Family Housing and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles to make this happen, using the money raised to pay for rent, groceries, down payments for homes and furnishing houses for those in need. He’ll also work with Rebuilding Together to secure homes for people whose houses were damaged by Hurricane Ida.
“My family and I participated in United Way’s HomeWalk in 2019 and through that experience, our kids had an opportunity to learn more about the humanitarian crisis of housing insecurity,” Whitworth said in a statement Wednesday. “The following Christmas, my wife Melissa and I gave the kids a chance to help decide how we as a family could make a difference, and the kids said they wanted to help people struggling with homelessness, which was so rewarding to hear as a parent. Being able to come together as a family and bless other families was incredibly meaningful and we continued the holiday initiative last year. This year, we are excited to make it a season-long initiative and broaden our impact in both our home state of Louisiana and our new home of Los Angeles.”
Whitworth has been a leader with the Rams and in Los Angeles since joining the team in 2017, once again being voted a captain by his teammates this season.
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