BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis has quickly become one of the easiest draft picks to root for.
"Growing up in the inner city of San Fransisco, California, I was told I wasn’t going to make it," Davis said in an ESPN/ABC vignette.
Like most stories of young men breaking through adversity to reach the NFL, Davis' story of getting here brings light to a reality thousands of children face across the country.
“I was actually a foster care kid from 8-16 (years old). I first experienced homelessness at eight and also at 12 when I was entered into the homeless shelter," he adds.
Cheryl Flick is the founder and president of the WNY Foster Closet. You may have seen her recently on Second Cup with Ed and Katie at the McKinley Mall location. Her organization collects clothes, toys, donations, and more for foster kids in our community.
Davis now has the opportunity to become the face of foster care success stories right here in Western New York.
“When you have a teenager who can now relate to this famous person it’s going to be huge for their self-image, confidence and so many positives in their lives," Flick told 7 Sports.
More importantly, Davis has the opportunity to give young Black adolescents someone to look up to who looks like them. That’s something Dr. Leah Angel Daniel, founder and CEO of Fostering Greatness, says will help the foundation turn around narratives often associated with foster care teenagers.
“African American youth are there in a disproportionate rate and the outcomes are very negative," Daniel said. "So seeing positive outcomes and someone who is a sports figure like Ray. That gives others who are in foster care that hope that they can see themselves in that person and move forward.”
So before Davis even plays a snap for the Bills, through organizations like WNY Foster Closet and Fostering Greatness, he can be a voice, and an inspiration, for so many who have never had one.
"I’m going to change what this culture and what this system is. I thought about those kids that sat inside those four walls like I did," says Davis. "If I gave up they wouldn’t have anyone to shine a light and speak about ways kids can be successful and not be dictated by this system.”
For more information on how you can become a foster parent or donate to a foster care organization visit this link to learn more about Child and Family Services Buffalo.
If you'd like to donate or volunteer your time at either the WNY Foster Closet or Fostering Greatness check out their websites listed below.
