Safety DeShon Elliott might be on the Reserve/Injured List, but that isn’t stopping him from giving back to the community.
Elliott delivered all the makings for Thanksgiving dinner to families in the Woodland Hills School District, as well as opening his own food pantry to help those served at Dixon Middle School.
The pantry, named the ‘DeShon Elliott Victory Vault,’ will provide healthy snacks for kids during the day as well as staples for meal prep for families. There are also other items for the kids, including new sneakers for those in need.
“We are giving back to the community as much as we can,” said Elliott. “When it comes to families, a lot of times kids come home, parents are tired from working hard. They don’t have time to go grocery shopping, especially in this economy with inflation. I have some essentials here when it comes to pasta, tacos, whatever it might be.
“Also, when I was a kid growing up my parents wouldn’t get off work until 5:30 and school would end at 3:30. Sometimes we would be waiting an hour, hour and a half to get picked up. Having the snacks here for them, the essentials, we even have shoes for kids who might need them.
“Anything matters; everything counts.
“Anytime you have the opportunity to give back you should. God has blessed me a lot financially and with opportunities. With how the world is right now, there is a lot of evil in the world. Being able to put some love into people, pour into people, means a lot to me and I hope it means something to them.”
The food pantry is something that will be sustainable throughout the school year, helping kids who are oftentimes struggling with food insecurity.
“I can’t expect children to come in and be ready to learn without making sure their basic necessities are met, which number one is food,” said Rashawnda Rudolph, the Assistant Principal at Dixon Middle School. “I try to make sure our students have any type of food, a snack, anything. It helps them prepare to learn and it helps our overall school environment.
“It makes them feel like people care, people are paying attention if they ate or not and it shows a deeper connection.
“I think it’s a blessing what DeShon has done. We partnered last year with DeShon for Christmas, and he was able to provide a lot of our families with shoes and clothes. Him being able to provide our food pantry, give out food boxes is a blessing to our school district and community. We are thankful to have him.
“With the recent economy the need has become higher. I have noticed more families vocalize the need for help, where before they wouldn’t really ask. I do think the need is greater than what it traditionally has been. Us having this food pantry, this food drive really helps, especially around the holidays.”
After celebrating the opening of the pantry with some of the students, Elliott delivered the meals to the families’ homes, spreading the love he feels all need.
“It’s really cool,” said Elliott. “Thanksgiving is essential in America. Us being able to do these things, make it easier on the people, is special. It’s a quality time most people don’t get to do.
“It’s different. Putting time into it. You can put money into anything. But putting your time in, you see their faces, see how kids react. When I was a kid, I saw Terrell Owens and other athletes. It’s cool to leave a mark and I am trying to leave my mark as much as possible.”