Steph Curry may be the greatest shooter in NBA history and treated as basketball royalty, but he’s also a generous supporter of charities lifting up folks in need.
Last summer, as the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the economy leaving many out of work, he and his wife Ayesha launched Eat. Learn. Play., a foundation that helps families struggling to put food on the table, through donations to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland, California school system.
“We know the world is changing before our eyes in terms of dealing with the spread of coronavirus and we just found out that the Oakland Unified School District is closing the doors for the foreseeable future, so we want to intercede on behalf of the kids that rely on the daily services and try to help any way we can,” Steph Curry explained in a video tweet.
Oakland is closing schools bc of COVID-19. We support this decision but are concerned a/b the 18,000+ kids that rely on school for 2+ meals daily. @eatlearnplay is donating to @ACCFB to ensure every child has access to the food they need. Join us & donate https://t.co/nDqF7OoO0Z pic.twitter.com/nFp0w1eFqH
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) March 14, 2020
Since then, the initiative has expanded exponentially. After joining forces with the world-renowned, Chef José Andrés, founder of the nonprofit disaster-relief group World Central Kitchen, Steph and Ayesha’s foundation has gone from serving 4,000 meals a week to 300,000.
In total, more than 15 million meals—and counting—have found their way to those in need.
But more than just serving up meals, Eat. Learn. Play. is also giving the local economy a much-needed financial shot in the arm—about $20 million that has “led to the rehiring of more than 900 Oakland restaurant workers.”
“It’s like we’re feeding the restaurants to make sure they can feed the community,” World Central Kitchen’s restaurant operations lead Anna Shova told Sf-ist.
“Restaurant culture has changed. Popular Michelin star restaurants have now asked ‘What else can I do for the community?’”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Ayesha Curry told The SF Chronicle. “For us to start in July and then just a few months later have this crisis thrust at our community and be able to keep up with the demand has really been a blessing.”
“It’s all about impact,” Steph Curry added. “The things my wife and I try to do, separately and together, are to raise awareness, to find impactful partnerships, to be human and understand the urgency of the moment.”
And that’s the way this elite player scores big.
Featured image: @StephenCurry/Twitter
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