Former Ohio State receiver and NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter had a stellar career on the football field. But that doesn’t mean he forgets where he came from.
In fact, growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Carter was one of six children in a single-parent household. That often meant with scant resources, that the family often had to battle going hungry. And while his abilities on the football field got him out of a poverty situation, others aren’t so fortunate.
Because of that, Carter is giving back and spearheading an effort by other NFL Hall of Famer’s with Project Isaiah, a charitable organization established during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free, boxed meals to those in need.
“This pandemic is a wicked event,” Carter told USA TODAY Sports last week. “We just can’t go through it and act as if we don’t care. Everyone can have some type of impact.”
Chris Carter remembers what it was like growing up hungry, now he's helping to feed other families affected by the coronavirus.
“It touches me personally because I don’t know what my family would have done 30, 40 years ago if there had been a pandemic.” https://t.co/AnzvIjbLOI
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) May 24, 2020
In a creative and inspiring move, investment banker Michael Klein launched the project in April and got the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Gate Gourmet, one of the largest airline food providers involved. The meals are packaged at airport kitchens and distributed by over 200 community service organizations.
David Baker, the executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame immediately agreed to get involved to be a partner, and that’s where Carter got involved and helped move the cause along.
“It touches me personally because I don’t know what my family would have done 30, 40 years ago if there had been a pandemic,” said Carter.
“If I was a young kid sitting around all day and my mom couldn’t go to work and we couldn’t go to school, it would have been tough. I was going to school for at least two of my meals.”
It’s a great cause, and it’s another example of someone tied to Buckeye Nation giving back during this unprecedented time. If you’d like to donate, you can do so at Isaiah.org.