Philanthropy

The Joseph Assignment Global Initiative

As Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman walked the streets of war-torn Liberia this offseason, he spotted a courageous, 6-year-old girl toting her baby sister on her back. "She was carrying her sister because their parents had died, and they were just trying to survive," Coleman said. "So I gave them $40 ... . They were so happy and shocked that people were giving to them. It made me feel so good. It was humbling." The entire, two-week mission trip to West Africa, with stops in Liberia and Ghana, gave Coleman a new appreciation for life. He made the trek with his father, brother, and the pastor from his suburban Chicago church. It was part of project called The Joseph Assignment Global Initiative, established in 2005 to enhance poverty-stricken areas of the world. "It was an awesome experience for Tevin and the children in Ghana and Liberia to meet a professional American football player," said Rev. Dr. Alexis Felder, who founded the program. "Tevin is a faithful donor to the Joseph Assignment Global Initiative and immediately started to give to the poor once he became an NFL player. He knows he is blessed to be a blessing." The main goal for Coleman and his contingent was to give the children a better chance at survival. "We opened up water wells so the kids could get clean water instead of drinking out of mud puddles," Coleman said. "We wanted to do it so they don't get sick. That was a real significant thing." Seven clean water wells were commissioned in Ghana. The team also hosted a medical clinic, where Coleman took temperatures and blood pressures of the children under the supervision of medical professionals. In Liberia, Coleman visited a school of 600 students and orphans previously destroyed during two civil wars, which took place between 1989-2003 and claimed an estimated 250,000 lives. He helped evaluate two sites for new schools, estimated to cost $250,000 as part of an ongoing fundraising effort. And Coleman met with doctors from the MRI center funded by the project.