Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor, and philanthropist T.I. Harris shared the joy of Christmas with his 5th Annual Holiday Caravan.
T.I.’s, Harris Community Works, in partnership with Papa Johns, AKOO, DTLR at Camp Creek Marketplace, and the Trap Music Museum, collaborated to spread the joy of the holidays to those who need it most. The rapper was on hand greeting everyone in attendance and passing out gifts.
During the 3-day community festival, T.I. and his foundation gave away hundreds of toys, jackets, shoes, bags, and more.
“I’m proud to be able to give back to people who need it most,” said Tip, expressing his gratitude to be able to give back to the city where he was raised. “I’m honored to be an instrument and a vessel for good. It’s a blessing to be a blessing.”
Last Saturday, the festivities began with a lunch at the Trap Music Museum, hosted by Papa John’s, for a group of young men from the Next Level Boys Academy, a Diversion program that keeps young men out of prison by offering classes and re-education for first offenders. Then, the top 50 young men in the program were taken to DTLR at Camp Creek Marketplace on Sunday for shopping.
On Thursday, the caravan visited the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta- Egleston Hospital where T.I. played Santa Claus. He met with the children, their parents and guardians, and delivered hundreds of toys while there. He also made sure to Facetime the children who couldn’t attend in person so they did not miss out in the festivities.
The caravan’s last stop was at the DeKalb County Accountability Courts to celebrate graduates of the reentry program that's designed to help them be productive citizens. The honorees received toiletries as well as a gift card to Walmart to assist with their transition back into society. The graduates were also given limited edition custom T-shirts embedded with lyrics from T.I.'s song “No Matter What”: “If your heart filled with faith then you cannot fear.”
In his speeches to the diversion programs, T.I. expressed that he had “been where they were and to keep improving and moving forward.”
