Former Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin Partners with Local Community Foundation and Essential Water
Though Doug Baldwin's career ended on the football field prior to last season due to cumulative injuries, it hasn't stopped him from giving back and making an impact in the Seattle community.
Baldwin recently patterned with the Family First Community Center Foundation and Essential Water to make sure people in the community do not go without meals and, most importantly, are safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Jonathan Warner of NBC Sports Northwest.
Baldwin took to Twitter to announce that he and his partners have officially hit their goal of delivering 250 packages of food and supplies to families within the community. He also added that it was a "pretty dope experience."
"As much of a challenge the past few weeks have been, working with some amazing people to safely deliver food and supplies to our community has been a pretty dope experience," tweeted Baldwin. "Thanks to you and our partners, yesterday marked our 250th delivery."
Baldwin has been heavily involved in the community since he arrived in Seattle back in 2011. Through the Doug Baldwin Family Combine, the former undrafted receiver has helped raise $40,000 towards building the Family First Community Center in Renton, Washington.
"The reason I picked a community center is because the community center in Florida, it allowed me to become the man that I am today in terms of holding me accountable in terms of academics, holding me accountable in terms of my work ethics," said Baldwin back in 2018. "The life lessons that are taught through sports, I was taught at that community center, so I wanted to replicate that in some way."
He would continue sharing that he was able to get the tools needed to get to the NFL through the second family at the community center.
"The overwhelming emotion that I get when I think about what that second family did for me was that they really held me accountable to the young man that I said I wanted to be," Baldwin said. "I said I wanted to get into the NFL. They said, 'OK, we're going to give you all the tools you need to get there, and we're going to hold you accountable academically, we're going to hold you accountable in your work ethic, and make sure if you really want to do this, we're going to push you [to] do it.' They did that; they never let up."
"Even in times when I got arrogant, or I got cocky, or I got complacent and lazy, they were always on me, and it was in a loving way. I just feel like sometimes a lot of kids don't have that support system. That was so invaluable to me, and I can't put a price on it. That's the overwhelming feeling I get when I think about the community center back home, so I want to make that the same type of atmosphere when kids come to this community center."
During his eight seasons with the Seahawks, Baldwin was named to two Pro Bowls (2016, 2017) and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2015. He also helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII and return to the big game the following season.
