Join us in wishing Keith well in Dallas as he joins the COWBOYs!
A Note from Keith:
ATLANTA – February 28, 2009
To everyone who has supported my Foundation over the years and to the great friends and strangers in Atlanta who have been so kind and supportive to me during my career here,
It is with very mixed emotions that I am leaving the Atlanta Falcons to join the Dallas Cowboys. I'm sad to be leaving Atlanta, but I am very excited about this new chapter in my career and rejoining my former coach Wade Phillips.
It is incredibly important for me to emphasize that my commitment to helping Atlanta-area children is unwavering. This area remains dear to me, and will continue to be the primary focus of the Keith Brooking Children's Foundation, which has affected the lives of thousands of our area children. With your help, we intend to help thousands more foster children in the Atlanta area.
We have just undergone some pretty dramatic changes in the Foundation. We have developed an innovative new program that we believe may transform the lives of the foster children who participate. We are committed to creating defining opportunities that will inspire them, and we will give them the tools they need to succeed in their pursuits.
Our new website will launch this week and I hope you check back to learn more about this program - and how you can join us in making a difference in the life of a child.
Many, many thanks,
- Keith
.
.
PLEASE CHECK BACK THIS WEEK TO LEARN ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AT THE KEITH BROOKING CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Welcome to the Keith Brooking Children's Foundation!
We are a 501(c)3 public charity committed to improving the lives of foster children and children in need in the Atlanta metro area and throughout the State of Georgia. The Foundation was formed in 2003 by Keith Brooking, an NFL linebacker and five time pro bowler who has spent his entire career in his home State of Georgia.
Operating under the principle that a child’s physical well being is the foundation upon which all other successes are built, the Foundation’s unique programs encourage children to stay active and to assume responsibility for their health and fitness.
What is the history of the KBCF?
Atlanta Falcons’ linebacker and five time pro bowler Keith Brooking grew up in a home that didn’t just preach community service, they lived it.
Keith's mother is a foster parent. Throughout Keith's childhood, their home was a safe haven to children who were in need of compassion and love. Keith has witnessed first hand the myriad of needs of foster children.
Having been raised alongside foster children, Keith grew up with a deeply driven desire to help children in the system.
In 2003, he launched the Keith Brooking Children's Foundation to provide support and encouragement to foster care children and the various agencies that serve them.
As the foundation’s work grew, it became apparent that the number of local children in need of support extends beyond those in foster care programs.
The Foundation answered that call by expanding their reach to include other local area children in need.
Who are the KBCF recipients? How are they identified?
Recipients are Georgia children in need of support, many of them foster children. The KBC Foundation works with the community in identifying children in need of support. School counselors, DFCS representatives, and foster care directors apply on behalf of the child.
Specifically, how does the KBCF help Atlanta-area children?
The KBC Foundation provides financial support to our recipients via three (3) unique programs:
1. The KBCF Locker 56 Program
Locker 56 provides foster care children and other children in need with vouchers redeemable for purchasing new athletic shoes. Recipient children enjoy a shopping experience at approved retailer locations (such as Dick’s Sporting Goods) where they explore the store, are properly fitted and can select athletic shoes of their choice for purchase.
Operating under the principle that a child’s physical well being is the foundation upon which all other successes are built, Locker 56 educates children on the role physical fitness plays in their lives and encourages them to take responsibility for their bodies and their health. The program provides them with new shoes and inspiration to help them toward that commitment.
Throughout the year, Keith Brooking enjoys accompanying the children on their shopping excursions. He uses that opportunity to educate and inspire them to make fitness a priority in their lives.
Over 1000 shoes have been awarded since the program was funded.
2. The KBCF Grant Program
Our Grant Program provides financial support for programs that align with our mission of supporting foster care children and the agencies that serve them.
Programs such as The Angel’s House. A Coweta County nonprofit organization, the Angel’s House provides a home for children ages 7 to 15 who are in the care of the State when no foster families are available to welcome them.
The Keith Brooking Children's Foundation supports them in small ways, such as organizing and sponsoring outings to the movies or bowling. And in larger ways, such as providing the house with an 8-person passenger van which supports the daily transportation needs for the children of the Angel’s House.
3. The KBCF Scholarship Program
Available to high school seniors in Coweta County (Keith’s home county) who have been accepted to an accredited college.
Scholarships are awarded based on a history of outstanding community and civic service, superior scholastic achievement (SAT and grade point average) and financial need.
There are two types of scholarships available:
- Keith Brooking Achiever – a one-time award of $1,000
- Keith Brooking Scholar – an award in the amount of $2,500, renewable annually upon maintaining a minimum GPA
Please contact us for more information about the Keith Brooking Children's Foundation and to learn how you can get involved!
