On December 4, we celebrated the launch of EdZone in partnership with the Chris Long Foundation at two of our partner schools—Central Middle School and Rose Mary Johnson Jennings Junior High School. An initiative of the Chris Long Foundation, EdZone operates in cities where the former NFL defensive end has lived and played, including Philadelphia, Charlottesville, and now St. Louis. The program is designed to eliminate barriers to learning by addressing the basic needs of low-income students, helping set them up to learn, thrive, and achieve long-term success both in school and in life.
With missions so closely aligned, the partnership is a natural fit. “We’ve been envisioning bringing EdZone to our partner schools for quite some time as an extension of our whole child model,” Little Bit President and CEO Miranda Walker Jones shared with attendees. “By joining forces, we can maximize our resources, reach more students, and serve them even better.” As a student ambassador from Central Middle put it, “This collaboration shows what happens when a community truly stands up for its students. It helps us feel valued and know there are people supporting us.”
Nancy Hopkins, Executive Director for the Chris Long Foundation, commented on the celebrations: “All of the support and enthusiasm from district, school, local political leaders and others is such a testament not only to the importance of the work that Little Bit is doing, but to how the St. Louis community holds the organization in such high regard.”
Central Middle School and Jennings Junior High School are the first of four middle schools selected to pilot EdZone in St. Louis, with two additional schools set to launch this spring. At each site, an EdZone locker—stocked with new, age- and culturally appropriate hygiene products—will be housed within our Little Bit boutique. In a video message, Chris Long shared, “When you think about being a football player, it’s look good, feel good, play good. I couldn’t take the field without my helmet and shoulder pads, and kids shouldn’t go into the classroom without essential needs items.” Long has plans to attend the spring celebrations of EdZone at Yeatman-Liddell Middle School and Long International Middle School.