The coronavirus outbreak forced the NBA and the rest of professional sports to suspend or cancel events in the hopes of preventing the spread of this pandemic.
However, the coronavirus is also affecting countless businesses and public institutions. People are now practicing social distancing and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Accordingly, schools have also begun to close their doors. The closures have created several issues for families as many of them rely on resources to help them and their children daily.
Founded by LeBron James, the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, was one of the schools that recently closed. To address the closure, James has made sure that his program is still able to provide for the children enrolled and their families during the coronavirus outbreak, according to Mark Medina of USA Today:
So James spoke with Michele Campbell, the Executive Director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, about keeping the program’s Family Resource Center open so it could still assist students and families during the pandemic.
“‘We need to make that happen,’” Campbell told USA TODAY Sports about James’ recent conversation with her. “‘We need to do whatever we can to make that happen and make these services to stay open.’”
It appears the program is prepared to offer things like food, toiletry essentials, and other forms of aid during the school’s closure:
It has partnered with Smuckers and Akron Food Bank to prep and give care packages filled with food, toothpaste and toilet paper to its 1,443 enrolled students and their families. The center has remained open for any families that need shelter, clothing, medical care and mental health assistance. And the center has kept its hotline open.
James has always genuinely cared about his community back in Akron, and this is just another example of him doing his part in taking care of them. While numerous people have been heading to grocery stores and buying things in bulk, some families are unable to take care of themselves in the process, so this gesture is incredibly helpful.
There is still so much that is unknown. The government continues to formulate a plan and direct those across the country. Schools are just one section of the public that have been negatively impacted during the outbreak. Hopefully, more of them follow James’ suit in ensuring their students and their families are taken care of in the meantime.