Through Single Mothers Initiative, Jessie Bates III Recruits Fellow Players, Cheerleaders, and Team Mascot to Visit Metro Atlanta Nonprofit Dedicated to Ending Homelessness – One Family at a Time
Being raised by a single mom, Atlanta Falcons All-Pro Safety Jessie Bates III, is all too aware of the challenges single mothers face. That’s why he worked alongside his mother, Theresa Ladd, and his management company to give shape to the JB3 Single Mothers Initiative in 2019. Since then, he’s taken part in six annual events that span from bringing a group of single moms and their kids via limousine to one of his games to a catered holiday dinner, Falcons gameday gear, and suite seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a home game. His latest act of kindness took place at Rainbow Village, a nonprofit in Duluth, Georgia, with a mission to bring Help, Hope, Housing, and Healing to Metro Atlanta families experiencing homelessness. Single moms helm the majority of families at Rainbow Village.
During the JB3 Single Mothers Initiative holiday visit to Rainbow Village, Bates recruited his fellow Falcons players, Wide Receiver Darnell Mooney, Defensive End Zach Harrison, and Safety Xavier Watts to join him. A genuine team effort, they also brought Falcons cheerleaders Bhelen T. and Kassidy O., a DJ, and even Freddie Falcon. During the event, they provided dinner, photo opportunities, Falcons swag for autographs, and family game night bags.
“We are so grateful for Jessie and his teammates’ show of support,” said Melanie Conner, CEO of Rainbow Village. “Not only did it come from such a good, heartfelt place, but it also came on the heels of a grueling gameday schedule. I have been a Falcons fan for as long as I can remember, but my love for our home team has grown by leaps and bounds – watching the players interact with our families. Earlier this year, we transformed our historically formal benefit gala into a Tailgate to Tackle Homelessness, and Freddie Falcon was so kind to join us. I especially love that the Falcons’ slogan, ‘Rise Up,’ dovetails beautifully with the Rainbow Village mission. Each of our families is on the rise as they journey through our program to a place of stability and self-sufficiency.”
In an interview with Fox 5 News during his visit to Rainbow Village, Bates said that all the struggles and hardships he endured during childhood helped shape the man he is today. His visit was intended to share that message of hope, endurance, and ultimate victory with the families of Rainbow Village. An added bonus for him and his teammates was the chance to see the kids’ faces and give their parents a well-deserved break.
Established in 1991, Rainbow Village’s unique model provides safe housing, education, and community support systems that allow families to confidently embark on the journey to self-sufficiency and thrive beyond the Village. Its campus currently houses 30 families – including 73 children – but the 501(c) (3) organization is in the midst of its Building Homes, Building Hope Capital Campaign to more than double the number of families it can serve through the construction of two new apartment buildings on its newly expanded campus.
To learn more about the mission at the heart of Rainbow Village, make a tax-deductible donation, or register as a volunteer, visit www.RainbowVillage.org. To impact its Capital Campaign, visit https://rainbowvillage.org/capital-campaign-building-homes-building-hope/. For those who wish to stay up to date on the latest Rainbow Village news and events, the nonprofit invites you to connect with them on social media, including Facebook @RainbowVillageInc, Instagram @rainbowvillageinc, X @rainbowvillage1, and LinkedIn @rainbow-village-inc.