WENN
It’s been quite the interesting year for rapper Meek Mill. He found himself at the center of the debate surrounding prison reform as many celebrities and public figures fought to get him released from jail. Meek was serving a sentence of 2-4 years for parole violations, following an arrest for assault.
As first reported by Complex, Meek Mill and his Dream Chasers team announced that they were donating 6,000 backpacks to students in need at 12 different Philadelphia public schools. Meek knows what it’s like to grow up without the resources necessary to get a proper education and he’s aiming to make sure that doesn’t happen to the next generation. He said:
“Growing up in Philly, I’ve watched families struggle to make ends meet and buy basic school supplies for their kids…Those memories stay with me and that’s why I’m committed to giving back to families in my hometown, putting smiles on kids’ faces and helping them start the school year on the right note with the right supplies.”
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This isn’t the first time that Meek Mill has been involved with charity and giving back to his community. For the past five years — including while he was serving time in jail — Meek and his Dream Chasers donated turkeys to hundreds of families around Philadelphia, ensuring that they had a proper Thanksgiving dinner.
Philadelphia school superintendent Dr. William R. Hite said
“We are excited that so many of our students will have brand new backpacks and school supplies for this school year, and are grateful to Meek Mill and the Dream Chasers for giving back to the community. This visit is something our students won’t soon forget and is a wonderful way to kick off the new school year.”
Since getting out of jail, Meek has been involved a variety of foundations aimed at reforming the criminal justice system and how punishments are levied. He has also released some new music since his release, including a four-song EP titled Legend of Summer in July 2018.
