Fam 1st Family Foundation is dedicated to uplifting and empowering youth in the Bay Area and throughout the United States. The foundation aims to improve the lives of children by mentoring them on the importance of education, literacy and self-esteem.
Fam 1st was launched by Joshua Johnson (QB, Buffalo Bills), Marshawn Lynch (former RB Seattle Seahawks), and Marcus Peters (CB, Kansas City Chiefs) who have overcome a significant amount of adversity to become the men they are today. Prior to becoming NFL athletes, giving back to the community and helping underprivileged youth succeed has always been a passion for both Josh, Marshawn, and Marcus.![]()
By helping fund our bus, you are directly impacting the lives of underserved youth and allowing them the opportunity to participate in a variety of Fam 1st workshops:
- Literacy programs
- Financial Training
- SAT/ACT workshops
- Art classes
- Media Center/Recording Studios
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The Impact
Underserved youth have less access to educational resources and opportunities for career development.
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Source: National Assessment of Adult Literacy
Many of the students we aim to serve do not have access to transportation for additional educational resources. By helping us fund our bus, we are giving youth the opportunity to travel from their neighborhoods to our workshops. This is not only a resource for youth without transportation, but it provides a safe trip to and from our programs for all participants.
According to the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth
Oakland, California's population is comprised of 24% children. 30% of these children live in households with incomes below the federal poverty line.
Youth living in neighborhoods with high levels of crime, youth incarceration and probation, and food stamp recipients face challenges to academic success, health, safety, and future transitions to adulthood.
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Giving children safe transportation to programs that offer resources for educational and professional success are crucial in neighborhoods that limit these opportunities.
The transportation is also needed because most of the programs we offer are not offered in schools and local resources. Fam 1st's push for 50 computers aims to give youth useful computer skills and offers advanced workshops that will aid in schoolwork and professional development.
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Your contributions make these resources possible for youth who would not have access to these programs otherwise. You are changing lives of thousands of Bay Area youth by giving them resources to succeed.
What People Are Saying About Fam 1st
"[Marshawn] is committed to the community. He’s not just interested in the community. He recognizes himself in every single one of these kids you see behind me and he wants to be there for them in the long run." -- California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom
"Fam 1st is a great organization and they’re just going to grow. I’ve been here for 5 years and each year it’s grown to be even bigger." -- Michael Robinson, former Seattle Seahawks fullback
What's In It For You?
Perks: GREAT perks. Stock up on great gear and cool opportunities to check out the new bus and hang out with Marshawn, Josh, and Marcus! Every wanted to have dinner or train with NFL players? We've got you covered.
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Funding Breakdown
We are raising $25k for our foundation.
The breakdown:
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About Fam 1st Family Foundation
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Fam 1st was founded to provide a one stop shop, where the center’s programming will include developing workshops for vulnerable communities to promote academic skill building and empowerment.
Bridging extracurricular with academia is the framework for serving at-risk youth across diverse populations. Joshua Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, and Marcus Peters are at the helm of this collaborative effort, to produce the future leaders of tomorrow.
Meet the Guys
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Josh Johnson is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of San Diego. Johnson attended Oakland Technical High School and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track & field.
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Marshawn Lynch is a former American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round (12th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills’ first 1,000—yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984. Lynch is the second all-time leading rusher at the University of California Berkeley with 3,230 yards. Lynch attended Oakland Technical High School. He was voted a PrepStar and SuperPrep All—American and was also voted as the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year.
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Marcus Peters is an American football cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft (18th overall). He was selected as one of three rookies for the 2016 NFL Pro Bowl and named 2nd All-Pro Team. He was also named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2015). He played college football at Washington. Peters attended McClymonds High School in Oakland where he was a letterman in football and track.
Risks & Challenges
We have been working with SF Muni to get all of the necessary information to retrofit the bus so the risk of fixing up the bus is minimal. We will need to recruit a bus driver that is certified to drive the type of bus we have. SF MTA did give us the company that trains bus drivers so we should have plenty of candidates. Marshawn said he might even get trained!
Other Ways You Can Help
We are really grateful for all the support and donations we receive! If you are not able to donate, we would love for you to spread the word!
IndieGoGo has sharing tools so you can help spread the word about our campaign and make our project come to life. Just share our campaign via social media and email your friends and family.
