Patriots' Hunter Henry goes long during the offseason to make a difference
His involvement culminated this past March, when he and his wife, Parker, visited Nairobi to get an up-close look at the organization's impact. They spoke with survivors of sexual violence, hosted a soccer match for local leaders, and learned about the systemic issues plaguing the city's police department.
Advertisement
'They've been involved from afar with the work and supported it financially, and now they were able to go and sit down and have lunch with survivors of sexual violence and hear the stories first-hand,' said Boston College grad Mark Herzlich, who works full time for IJM after his seven-year NFL career.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
'You don't have much time in the offseason. When you have your couple of weeks where you're really off and you take one of those weeks to go to a different country — not for vacation purposes but to do service work — that's pretty impressive. It wasn't just a drop in the bucket type thing for them, like, 'Hey, let's just, on a whim, go to Africa.' "
Advertisement
The conversations with survivors of sexual violence resonated with Henry, who was especially struck by their joy despite difficult circumstances. In one story, a father had to quit his job on a farm because his boss was sexually abusing his daughter. The decision left the family with nowhere to live, no income, and little access to food.
'To see the true joy they had, with everything they had gone through in their life and, honestly, it was a lot of bad stuff,' Henry said. 'Things hadn't gone their way. Life threw a lot at them. And I feel like they were still so happy and so joyful.
'You see the stories and stuff, but to actually meet the people. I mean, they're real. These stories are about real people. We can get comfortable with where we're at in life in a lot of ways, so it definitely tugged a lot on my heart over there, like, what more can I do? What more can I do to help these people?'
Parker Henry (right), the wife of Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, plays with a girl during the family's recent trip to Kenya with International Justice Mission.
HANDOUT
Henry doesn't know the answer to that question just yet. He has some ideas, including returning to Kenya one day, representing IJM during the NFL's annual 'My Cause, My Cleats' initiative, and organizing a local event to raise awareness and additional money.
The visit certainly illuminated to him how a seemingly small idea can make a tangible difference.
For example, he saw how IJM and residents were able to repurpose a shipping container as a safe haven for victims, allowing them to report crimes as well as receive counseling. The container is split into rooms for waiting, interviewing, and observation — all spaces that the majority of the local police stations do not offer.
Advertisement
'Some of the police stations were very underfunded,' Henry said. 'Some of them just met under a tree. There wasn't an actual building. And some of them were just one building, a small building, and everything was done in one building.
'It was pretty cool to see something as simple as a shipping container — that's literally all it was — can be used to make a big impact. It just provided a space for people to come report things and work through what they were going through.'
As Henry continues to figure out what more he can do, he'll keep in mind the impact that whatever comes next doesn't necessarily have to be a grand gesture to be meaningful.
'As far as giving your time and giving your money, something so small can go so far over there,' he said. 'You can think, like, 'Whatever, this isn't that big of a deal,' but it is a big deal over there. Little things can go so much farther over there.'
Nicole Yang can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Motivates Travis Kelce During NFL Offseason, Says ‘Close Friend'
Travis Kelce's close friend and broadcaster Pat McAfee recently shared his insight into the Chiefs tight end's relationship with Taylor Swift. In an episode of 'The Pat McAfee Show,' he expressed that the singer is motivating her boyfriend during the NFL offseason, which could positively impact Kelce's performance on the field. The former NFL punter's comments come amid reports that Swift is staying in Florida for her boyfriend's training for the upcoming NFL season. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce 'motivate' and 'inspire' each other, says Pat McAfee Travis Kelce might return to the NFL season stronger than ever with the help of Taylor Swift. The NFL star's friend Pat McAfee spoke about how the couple is having a positive influence on each other during his recent episode of 'The Pat McAfee Show.' Advertisement According to the Daily Mail, McAfee said, 'I think they continue to inspire each other, I think they continue to motivate each other. I think they continue to be great for each other.' The broadcaster also believed that the inspiration would help Kelce's form for the NFL season, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to be included in 'title conversations.' Travis Kelce is reportedly preparing to make a comeback this upcoming NFL season and has his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, to support him. Last month, a source revealed that the singer is staying in Florida to spend quality time with her boyfriend while he trains. Aside from training, the couple has also been going out on a few dates in the city. They briefly took a break from the public eye after the Super Bowl in February. Earlier this month, Swift and Kelce were spotted leaving a restaurant in Florida after their dinner date. They briefly interacted with fans before leaving. The duo recently turned the Stanley Cup finals into another date night. They attended the game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers, with several videos and photos capturing their loving interaction. Over the past few months, the couple has also been at the center of engagement and wedding rumors. Swift recently subtly dismissed the speculation with her visit to a children's hospital in Florida. When a fan asked why she was in the city, the singer claimed that it was because her 'boyfriend' had been training here. The post Taylor Swift Motivates Travis Kelce During NFL Offseason, Says 'Close Friend' appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce Reveals Secret Behind Weight Loss While Taylor Swift ‘Motivates' Him
Travis Kelce recently opened up about his weight loss journey during a press conference. Previously, the NFL player had admitted to putting on some pounds ahead of the 2024-25 season. Earlier this week, he confessed that he has shed some weight and is all set to make a comeback for the forthcoming season. Additionally, his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, has played a major role in motivating him during the NFL offseason. Travis Kelce reveals running helped him shed some pounds ahead of NFL season Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's romance has often made headlines for many reasons. Along with enjoying their dating life, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has also been training hard ahead of the upcoming NFL season. A few reports about the player losing 25 pounds during the NFL offseason had made headlines a while ago. Advertisement In a recent press conference, a reporter questioned Travis Kelce about his weight loss. The athlete chuckled and requested the attendees not to believe everything 'on the internet.' He mentioned that he had 'never told anybody' about losing 25 pounds. Furthermore, Swift's beau admitted that he has shed 'some weight from the end of the season last year.' 'This year, I got some time to really focus on some form running and some things early on in the offseason that I just didn't have time for last year,' the Chiefs tight end added. Meanwhile, the NFL star's friend Pat McAfee highlighted the singer's influence in Travis Kelce's efforts to rebuild himself during the offseason. In an episode of 'The Pat McAfee Show,' the host stated, 'I think they continue to inspire each other, I think they continue to motivate each other. I think they continue to be great for each other.' Apparently, the pop star's motivation is said to help her boyfriend's game in the upcoming season. She even stayed in Florida, where Kelce was training, to inspire him. The couple was also spotted spending some quality time there as they were photographed on a date night. The post Travis Kelce Reveals Secret Behind Weight Loss While Taylor Swift 'Motivates' Him appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Analyst's QB rankings shockingly leaves Commanders' Jayden Daniels outside of top 10
Rankings are subjective. Remember that. That doesn't mean we can't review some rankings and ask: "What were they thinking?" Such is the case with a recent list from Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports. McDonald ranked his version of the NFL's top 10 quarterbacks and omitted the Washington Commanders' QB Jayden Daniels. Advertisement Here's McDonald's list: At first glance, I thought it was a mistake. How could McDonald leave Daniels off his list? It's understandable if he didn't rank Daniels No. 5. While several already believe Daniels is a top-five signal caller, some believe he still has much to prove. Neither perspective is wrong. Daniels did things last season that no other rookie has ever done. He won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, led the Commanders to the NFC championship game and the franchise's best season in 33 years. McDonald's top four is inarguable: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. Regardless of the order, those are the NFL's top four QBs heading into 2025. Beginning at No. 5 is where things get interesting. Advertisement McDonald chose Justin Herbert over Daniels. Herbert is 0-2 as a starting quarterback in the playoffs, while Daniels won two playoff games as a rookie. No, there's more to quarterbacking than playoff wins or win/loss record, but, based on last season, would you take Herbert over Daniels? McDonald ranked the QBs into four tiers: the Patrick Mahomes tier, the almost-Mahomes tier, the ceiling-raiser tier, and the floor-raiser tier. Jackson and Allen landed in the second tier, while Burrow, Herbert and Matthew Stafford all landed in the third tier. Finally, Dak Prescott, Geno Smith, Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud landed in the final tier. Daniels should be in everyone's top 10. So should Baker Mayfield. Could anyone make the case that Prescott, Smith and Love are better than Daniels or Mayfield? Who would make up your top 10? Where would you rank Daniels? Advertisement Remember, rankings are subjective. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: QB rankings shockingly leaves Commanders' Jayden Daniels out of top 10
