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In discussing what his team has done during the COVID-19 crisis, Sean Marks has said that in addition to what has been publicized, there have been other contributions “behind the scenes,” And an entry on Kevin Durant Charity Foundation website certainly confirms that.
A quick look at the foundation’s site reveals extensive efforts by KD. In fact, down at the bottom of the KDCF site is a heading, “2020 COVID-19 Response” and a list of initiatives, many of them unpublicized. The list is extensive.
- Food Bank of NYC- tackling food insecurity
- Coalition for the Homeless (NYC)- support for homeless New Yorkers
- Direct Relief (NY State)- Providing PPE to healthcare workers
- GiveDirectly (Seat Pleasant, MD)- Direct $1000 financial payments to households
- Capital Area Food Bank (Greater Washington D.C. and MD)- tackling food insecurity
- Prince George’s County food and mask distribution to 500 families in partnership with Bishop McNamara HS
- Brooklyn for Life: To support Brooklyn small business restaurants providing meals to frontline workers
- 202 Assist/Lydia’s House/Housing & Counseling Services: providing rent relief to families in need in DC’s Ward 8
- Kevin Durant and Degree are partnering to contribute $1M to support grassroots youth sports and leadership organizations across the country
There’s been some publicity about some of the initiatives, like the partnership with Degree and the GiveDirectly program in KD’s hometown. But for the most part, KD’s efforts have been done without publicity. Nor has the foundation provided a price tag on all his gifts and donations.
It’s not the first time that KD’s foundation have reached out in times of difficulty. The foundation website also notes that it has provided “emergency relief” in the past to the Red Cross so it could help out after the Moore, Oklahoma, tornado in 2013 and Hurricane Harvey which stuck the Gulf Coast in 2017 as well as other relief agencies following Hurricane Dorian’s devastating track across the Bahamas last year.
KD has also partnered with other players’ charitable foundations. among them John Wall’s in Washington and Buddy Hield’s in the Bahamas in the past year. The KDCF also has received matching grants from the NBPA Foundation, rung by the players’ union. In the past, he’s worked with homeless children in New York and helped finance the Fresh EBT app for managing food stamps and other benefits across the country.
Several other Nets players have given to community relief efforts both in Brooklyn and their hometowns, led by Kyrie Irving, Dzanan Musa and Jarrett Allen. Not to mention the work by the Joe and Clara Wu Tsai Foundation, highlighted by donations of critical medical equipment to New York, New Jersey, San Diego and Detroit.
No doubt, as Marks has noted, there are others who like Durant et al have done so behind the scenes ... and when we can, we’ll publicize those efforts.