Former OSU star, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley donating $200,000 to 5 community organizations

Posted: May 20, 2020 / 02:26 PM EDT

Updated: May 20, 2020 / 02:27 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 27: Mike Conley #10 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 27, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, former Ohio State standout and current Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley is donating $200,000 to benefit communities that helped shape him.

Conley’s comprehensive contribution to five communities will address food insecurity, homelessness and remote learning needs exacerbated by COVID-19. His $200,000 donation will be distributed among the Utah Food Bank in Salt Lake City, CodeCrew in Memphis, Tenn., Community Shelter Board and the Columbus Urban League in Columbus, Ohio, the Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation in Indianapolis, Ind., and the New Haven Missionary Baptist Church in West Helena, Ark.

“Giving back and helping others is very important to me,” Conley said in a statement. “The COVID-19 crisis has allowed me to slow down and appreciate who I am and where I am in life. It has reminded me that I am in this position because of the support and sacrifices of others I’ve encountered all along the way. I wanted to there for the communities that have been fundamental to my personal growth and are now suffering due to the effects of this pandemic. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

A portion of the three-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner’s donation will help Utah Food Bank continue to send increased amounts of product to its 182 partner agencies across the state. In addition, it will help offset the increased transportation costs of Utah Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry program, which is continually expanding to meet the sharp increase in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conley’s contribution will provide the equivalent of more than 194,000 meals for Utahns facing hunger.

Conley’s donation will also benefit CodeCrew in Memphis, where he spent the first 12 years of his NBA career. CodeCrew, in partnership with STREETS Ministries, will use the funds to acquire low-cost broadband internet services and laptops for students in Memphis to assist with distance learning. The nonprofit organization educates, mentors and trains underrepresented groups in tech to become innovators and producers.

In addition, the Jazz guard’s gift will support Community Shelter Board in Columbus, Ohio, the city where he attended college at Ohio State University and makes his offseason home. Conley’s investment will help slow the spread of the coronavirus by providing masks for every staff member and client in the homeless system. His contribution will also provide critically important personal protective equipment for staff working in isolation and quarantine shelters for those experiencing homelessness and infected with COVID-19.

A portion of Conley’s $200,000 contribution will also assist the Columbus Urban League in Ohio in its mission to create hope and opportunity for the nearly 40,000 African American and disadvantaged urban families it touches every year. In partnership with the Community of Caring Development Foundation, an arm of New Salem Baptist Church, the donation will help the Columbus Urban League meet the basic food needs of the nearly 350 families whose children have been a part of its outreach programs this past year.

Conley will also be investing in the city where he spent his high school basketball career with a gift to the Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation. The Jazz guard’s investment in the foundation’s Education Equity Fund will support the largest school district in the state of Indiana. Funds will be utilized to provide internet connectivity for students, district-wide professional development for teachers and preparation for re-entry into the classroom after months of isolation.

Finally, Conley’s donation will support the New Haven Missionary Baptist Church in West Helena, Arkansas, the state where he was born and raised. Conley’s contribution will provide personal protective equipment for members of the community based in the Arkansas Delta.

Conley’s donation is aligned with the “Acts of Caring” platform of NBA Together, the global community and social engagement campaign launched by the NBA family in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “Acts of Caring” aims to harness the reach of the NBA and its partners to galvanize support for those most impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19.

Check out the NBC4I article here