CJ Gardner-Johnson showcased his charitable side in 2019 when he provided an incredible amount of support for foster kids as a way of giving back. Gardner-Johnson came from a background of charity and sharing as his mother, Del Johnson, would often take in foster kids to take care of during Gardner-Johnson’s childhood. While at the time, he may not have understood exactly what was going on, there is no doubt that Gardner-Johnson looked back on his mother’s actions with appreciation and carried them forward in his life.
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The safety came in strong during his rookie year, showing he had a solid place in the league. He played his first three games with New Orleans before going to the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Currently, he’s a member of the Detroit Lions. As a rookie, Gardner-Johnson wasn’t just focusing on the football field, but he was also looking at how he could give back to his community, just the way his mother had all those years back.
CJ Gardner-Johnson Made Several Kids’ Days in 2019 With Saints Tickets
As a rookie, CJ Gardner-Johnson realized the massive platform he now had as an NFL player, and he didn’t waste any time taking advantage of it.
As per a story from Raintree Children and Family Services, early in the 2019 season, Gardner-Johnson reached out to Raintree to find out more about the program and what he could do to help. Raintree is a not-for-profit organization that has made it its mission to provide support to at-risk children in New Orleans.
The children warmed up to Gardner-Johnson incredibly well, and he was looking for more ways to help the kids out. The former Saints DB didn’t stop there though.
He also connected with Boys Town, another facility working with at-risk children in the New Orleans area, and he provided the kids there with tickets to attend a Saints game. It was a massive gesture, and it was definitely something that the kids were going to remember for a long time. His mother was also there to support him, providing snacks and drinks.
Gardner-Johnson Gifted New Shoes to Foster Kids
Gardner-Johnson wasn’t just going to stop at the Saints game either. While attending such a game is a lifelong dream for many of these kids, things like clothes and essentials may prove more valuable.
Gardner-Johnson made sure to look out for this as well and weeks after giving out Saints tickets, he took the kids to a Foot Locker and bought them all new pairs of shoes.
The safety was thrilled to be taking part in such an initiative. As per Raintree, he said, “People don’t take notice of kids like that. I feel like by me bringing some type of awareness to them, there’s more people out there that need help than vets and homeless people. There’s kids out there that need homes and families.”
