NASHVILLE – Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons spends his Sundays chasing around NFL quarterbacks as they try to escape his grasp.
On Tuesday, Simmons visited an escape room with children from the Martha O'Bryan Center.
It was one of the first events for his Give Em A Reason Foundation, which works to serve the community through youth empowerment and self-esteem-building opportunities.
Simmons has been a part of two events in the Nashville community on back-to-back Tuesdays.
This week, Simmons joined kids from the Martha O'Bryan Center's extended learning program to visit the Nashville Escape Room. The group worked together to escape a space-themed room successfully after picking out the activity as something they've always wanted to do.
The Martha O'Bryan Center's extended learning program currently serves K-8th grade students and aims to provide them with positive male support related to academics, self-esteem and worth, and leadership. Most of the children in the program live in the 37206-area code, specifically the James A. Cayce Housing projects.
Last Tuesday, Simmons joined with UnitedHealthcare, Optum, and Nashville General Hospital to pack and distribute food to Nashville residents struggling with food insecurity.
Simmons joined volunteers to help pack grocery bags full of fresh produce and other shelf-stable foods. Later, they went into the community to deliver fresh produce and shelf-stable foods directly to Nashville residents.
"This is huge for me. This is huge for the families who actually need the meals. Nashville General is doing an amazing job with the Food Farmacy and partnering with UnitedHealthcare," Simmons said. "A lot of families are not fortunate enough to be in the position I am, so being a part of this and distributing food to those who really need it is huge. It means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to these families."
