Last Wednesday, the **Eagles Social Justice Fund** announced the first four non-profit organizations that would benefit from the money raised by the players and matched by the team.

One of those organizations that received grant money, the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, used it to bail out nine individuals before the Thanksgiving holiday. Those people participated in a services fair on Monday hosted by the Players Coalition at Impact Services in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.

"There is no community that compares to Philadelphia. People know us as a tough city – and we are. We are fortunate to have community leaders who are providing tremendous resources on the ground to help people avoid incarceration, and critically, to help address the root causes of what catches people in the system in the first place. They put people over profit and punishment," said Jenkins, a co-founder of the Players Coalition who spoke at a press conference along with other officials.

"Many are survivors of an often unforgiving criminal justice system that have emerged to lead mentoring groups, help people find housing and employment, and groups that pay bail for those who are held in jail solely because of poverty. We must invest in these organizations and in the treatment and services they provide."

The Philadelphia Community Bail Fund received $50,000 from the Eagles Social Justice Fund, an annual pool that will award grants to local community programs whose efforts are focused on reducing barriers to equal opportunity through education, enhancing community/police relations, improving the criminal justice system, or other initiatives that are focused on poverty, racial equality, and workforce development. It's a three-tiered approach that will address social justice change in the community through prevention, reform, and re-entry.

The players raised funds that were matched by the team and the Eagles Social Justice Fund has amassed nearly $500,000 to date with donations still coming in. The process is ongoing and the remaining funds will be distributed to additional charitable groups in December.