Carson Wentz returned to the practice field on Monday with the Indianapolis Colts after being sidelined for three weeks due to a foot injury. But his addition to the Colts offense might not have been where he made the biggest impact.
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In response to the devastation in the wake of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tropical storm that hit Haiti earlier in August, Wentz announced that he and his wife, Maddie, are donating $250,000 toward relief efforts through his nonprofit Audience of One Foundation.
“Our family has been impacted tremendously by the country of Haiti and its people,” Wentz tweeted. “The recent earthquake has been heavy on our hearts, and we have spent time praying through how we could respond in this time.”
through the body of Christ, and that is why my wife and I are joining with the @AO1Foundation to donate $250,000 to @mohhaiti’s earthquake disaster response efforts. These funds will be used to help provide medical supplies and shelter for those who desperately need it.
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) August 22, 2021
In a video shared to social media, Wentz and his wife described how over the past six years, they’ve developed a love for the people of Haiti. This earthquake is yet another blow to a country still recovering from a 7.0 earthquake in 2010 as well as Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm that hit the Caribbean island in 2020, and many other hurricanes and tropical storms.
“It broke us to see yet another natural disaster hit that country,” Wentz said in the video.
Shortly after news broke about the earthquake, Wentz and his wife reached out to Mission of Hope, a nonprofit the AO1 Foundation has been working with since 2017. Mission of Hope is focused on meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Haiti.
By the time they got in contact, Mission of Hope had already traveled to epicenter of the earthquake near L’Asile, Haiti, to assess the damage and begin relief efforts. Mission of Hope works with nearly 600 local partners, including churches, schools, orphanages and other nonprofits, to carry out their mission in Haiti.
Through their efforts, they discovered there was an immediate need for medical supplies, medications, food, clean water and shelter. Wentz’s donation is aimed at helping close that gap.
“We are grateful for our time working with @mohhaiti, and their ability to respond efficiently on the ground has been a blessing to many,” Wentz tweeted. “Please consider joining us prayerfully and financially as Haiti continues to rebuild and restore hope in their country. God bless!”
We are grateful for our time working with @mohhaiti, and their ability to respond efficiently on the ground has been a blessing to many.
Please consider joining us prayerfully and financially as Haiti continues to rebuild and restore hope in their country. God bless!
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) August 22, 2021
Together, along with Wentz’s brother Zach, Carson and Maddie have operated Audience of One since 2017. AO1 also operates a food truck in the Philadelphia area that gives free food to anyone they share the Gospel with, as well as an outdoor ministry that takes place in North Dakota that gets kids through illnesses and gets them outdoors doing recreational activities. It’s another way for them to share the Gospel with people.
“They leave with an appreciation for the outdoors, but also an appreciation for Jesus, more than anything,” Wentz said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast.
Since joining the NFL in 2017, Wentz has used his platform regularly to share his faith in Jesus and serve others through his foundation. He’s in his first season with the Colts, where he’s reunited with head coach Frank Reich — another man of faith who previously served as Wentz’s offensive coordinator when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, where they won a Super Bowl together.
The two have shared how they had an immediate connection when Wentz was going through the draft process as they bonded over Scripture.
Wentz has said he’s also excited to get involved with the Indianapolis community.
“We’ve heard great things about the [Indianapolis] community,” Wentz said after being traded. “Great places to raise a family and all those things, so we’re excited for that. Excited just to be involved and invested in the community, get to know some people and hopefully put on a good show for the Colts fans.”
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