Last month, Malcolm Jenkins underwent the painful experience of having to say goodbye to a close friend who was shot and killed on the streets of New Orleans.
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles safety continued his efforts to help strengthen the future of a New Orleans community he loves.
Speaking at the College Track New Orleans' Launch To College Ceremony, Jenkins gave away a round of scholarships to a group of graduating seniors through The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation's Project REWARDS Program.
Jenkins awarded $13,000 in scholarships to college-bound seniors Thursday and paid tribute to the first group of high school graduates who received scholarships in 2012. Over the last five years, a total of $85,000 in scholarships have been awarded through the program.
One of those recipients, Troy Simon, could barely read seven years ago, according to the Times-Picayune. Simon is now graduating from Bard College and will enter graduate school at Yale later this year. He was a guest speaker during Thursday's event.
Jenkins launched his foundation during his time playing for the Saints. After signing with Philadelphia in 2014, he continued his charitable efforts in the city in addition to pursuing causes in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
"Obviously when I left New Orleans, I wanted to make sure everything stayed in tact," Jenkins told the Times-Picayune. "I don't see that changing. We started in New Orleans because we saw that there was a need. Just because I leave doesn't mean that the need leaves. So it's important for us to stay in the community and continue to help.
"It's a city that I love and that's supported me. I just try to do my part to give back."
The death of his friend and former Saints starWill Smith was a difficult reminder for Jenkins regarding the seriousness of his mission.
"Violence and crime happen every single day (in New Orleans)," Jenkins said. "Sometimes it takes those highly visible figures or something to make some realize what's happening every single day. It's really affecting our youth. It's not just adults dealing with this. It's our teenagers.
"A lot of them are products of their environment. We can't expect them to want them to be the President of the United States when they look outside of the window at their neighborhood and they know it as growing up to be a drug dealer or go to jail or never make it out of the neighborhood."
