Joey Badass expands his philanthropic efforts by launching a new campaign in support of NYC's homeless students.
The Brooklyn native joined forces with the Fund for Public Schools, the non-profit partner to the NYC Department of Education. The Fund is dedicated to meeting the needs of the city's 1.1 million public school students by providing seed funding to all local districts. As part of its mission, the organization has launched its COVID-19 Response Effort, which aims to assist students, families, and educators during this unprecedented health crisis.
The organization says one of its biggest priorities is to support the DOE's Students in Temporary Housing program. The Fund states that there more than 100,000 homeless students in NYC every year, and about 15,000 students who live in shelters on any given night. These students are particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, as many of them lack basic needs and do not have the resources to successfully complete remote schooling.
"Now this COVID-19 crisis has been tough on a lot of us, but I can only imagine how hard it is on the homeless students," Joey said in newly released campaign video. "In the New York City public school system, there are about 1.1 million students currently enrolled. Over 100,000 of them are actually homeless. Now that's about 1 in 10, and 85 percent of those kids are Hispanic or black. And that's why I'm partnering up The Fund for Schools and the Department of Education to help them stay on track. Please join me in our efforts to support our most vulnerable students."
The Pro Era artist, who is a product of the NYC pubic school system, also announced his personal donation of $25,000 to The Fund.
"We’re grateful to Joey, as a former New York City public school student, for stepping up during this unprecedented crisis to support some of our most vulnerable students," The Fund's CEO Julie L. Shapiro told The Root. “Investing in the success and stability of students experiencing homelessness is a key priority for our City, and we’re proud to be able to deploy additional resources that can support their remote learning, as well as their physical and social-emotional well-being.”
You can learn more about The Fund, including how to donate, at the organization's official website.
Joey is now working on the follow-up to his 2017 sophomore album All-Amerikkkan Badass. He recently told Complex the project will showcase his artistic evolution and a side of him no one has really seen.
"It will speak towards the growth as both an artist and as a man. I’m just trying to find new ways to open up and to tell my story—more parts of it that haven't been told," he said. "Also, I’m having fun this time around. I’m trying to have more fun than I've ever had, because it's a very fun time for me right now. A lot of exciting things are happening."
