The funds will primarily provide lower-income students with scholarships to attend Philly private schools.
Following up on their $15 million donation to Philadelphia schools around this same time last year, rapper Meek Mill, comedian Kevin Hart, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin announced Tuesday that they donated $7 million to support students in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Philadelphia trio didn’t specify a specific list of schools at this time, but an official statement reads that institutions in South and North Philly — where Mill and Hart respectively grew up — will receive a “special focus.” The seven-figure donation is meant for the 2023-24 academic year, with most funds supporting scholarships for low-income students to attend or continue to attend private schools.
Additionally, money will be set aside to expand access to laptops, tablets, and WiFi connectivity.
Families who are interested in receiving access have to provide proof of income and demographics showing that they are eligible to receive funding through the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program.
Meek Gives Back
Mill and Rubin have donated $17 million to Philly-area communities in recent years, according to the group’s statement, and specifically launched a $2 million scholarship foundation to help kids in and around the city navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This latest effort comes on the heels of give-back efforts and initiatives during the recent holiday season, with Rubin and Mill partnering with the criminal justice group REFORM Alliance for its annual “Season of Giving” events.
The VIP experience is meant for more than 30 children whose families have been negatively impacted by the criminal justice system and unjust probation and bail policies. In addition, Meek posted bail for 20 women in the region so they could be with their families during the holidays.
When Meek and the REFORM Alliance held one of their first giveaways in New York City circa 2019, reporters asked Meek what inspired him to give back. “Going to jail for not committing a crime… I came back home and stood up for the people who stood up for me,” he said.
Partnering with Rubin and Hart on this latest project, Meek has gone above and beyond to stick to his word in the years since.
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