DeAngelo Joins the Fight Against Childhood Obesity!

Please join me in addressing childhood obesity!  It's important to me that schools help children make healthy choices.  This is why I support ensuring that food and drinks sold in schools meet up-to-date nutrition standards.  Click here to tell your Members of Congress that you stand with me on this issue at:

http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/schoolfoodspetition

Click here for more information about this important child nuttrition bill:  www.schoolfoods.org

Welcome to the DeAngelo Hall Foundation

Foundation Overview

In 1994, when DeAngelo was 10 years old and living in Virginia, his family was rocked by tragedy overnight when DeAngelo's older brother, Kevin was shot and killed at age 22.  According to DeAngelo, one of the hardest parts to deal with as a child was that it didn't make sense.  "My brother wasn't doing anything wrong...he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," says DeAngelo.  With limited support available and few resources to help him or his family cope with the tragedy, DeAngelo was forced to grow up quickly as his mother and siblings dealt with the impact and struggled to heal.

DeAngelo officially launched the DeAngelo Hall Foundation at an Atlanta Kickoff event in March 2006, in memory of his late brother, Kevin Smith.

The Foundation's overarching goal is to serve as a change agent, offering solutions and support to decrease youth  violence and aid families and children impacted by this national social phenomenon.

Foundation Focus

The Foundation is committed to helping youth choose alternative paths to violence through self-empowerment, advocacy and support of anti-violence programs.  In addition to offering its own programs, The Foundation supports programs that provide awareness, advocacy, and prevention and intervention services.  Priority is given to programs that target youth between the ages of 11-19 as this is the age group at highest risk.

DeAngelo is personally involved in the direction and operation of the Foundation and is committed to leveraging his status as a professional athlete to shed light on the issues, raise public awareness and inspire better solutions and effective strategies.

The Facts

• Homicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 overall.
• Teenagers are two times more likely to be victims of violent crime than others.
• In 2002, more than 877,700 young people ages 10 to 24 were injured from violent acts.  1 in 13 required hospitalization.
• About 1 in 9 murders were committed by youth under 18 in 2000.  On average, about 5 youth are arrested for murder in this country each day (a total of 1,176 in 2000).
• 1 in 20 high school students say that they have carried a gun in the past month.
• Almost 1 in 4 teens report having easy access to guns at home.
• Among students nationwide, 33% reported being in a physical fight one or more times in the 12 months preceding the survey (2004).

Violence is a serious issue in this country, crossing economic, cultural and ethnic lines.  Leadership along with effective programs, collaborations, and policy changes are necessary to address the issue-and to begin to change the numbers.