Published 07:05 IST, November 5th 2019
LeBron James to build housing facility for 'I Promise School' families
LeBron James will be renovating a historic apartment building in his hometown, Akron and provide safe housing for the kids at his school 'I Promise School'.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
NBA superstar LeBron James will be adding safe housing to the school he founded in his hometown, Akron. James hopes to provide the students with stable houses while they receive their education. On November 4, James announced that a historic apartment building in Akron, Ohio is being renovated into transitional housing. The houses will be for families who need it at James' 'I Promise School'.
In an official statement, James said that their earlier aim was to focus and help children get an education. However, he and his foundation have realised that they will not be able to learn properly if they are still struggling to fulfill their daily, basic needs. James added that he wants the house to be a place that the children can call their 'home'. He hopes it will be a place where they feel loved, supported and safe. His foundation will support the children at every step of their lives.
James' foundation started the school in 2018 for at-risk third and fourth graders. He plans to expand from first to eighth grade by 2022. James has also promise free tuitions at the University of Akron for students when they graduate..
James' foundation and the 'I Promise School' will be working with Graduate Hotels on the project. Graduate Hotels operate boutique hotels in college towns across the US. Graduate will renovate the historic Westmont apartment building. The building is only a few minutes away from the school. Graduate Hotels' founder and CEO Ben Weprin also made a statement on the collaboration and said that he believes that it is a 'monumental' step for both organizations and they are honoured to join James' and his foundation on the journey. The building has 22 units as of now and the foundation will start working on it immediately. The building should be ready by July 2020.
Updated 11:41 IST, November 5th 2019