AKRON, Ohio — Way before LeBron James was an NBA phenom, he was known as Gloria James’ son.
The kid from Akron rose to super stardom in the NBA, but never forgot his humble beginnings. He created the LeBron James Family Foundation and the I PROMISE School.
His mom was a key player in his off-the-court moves.
3News’ Danita Harris went to House Three Thirty in Akron to speak with Gloria about her role in this part of LeBron’s life.
“I am in our school Monday through Friday with the third grade class,” Gloria says. “I’m paired with third grade teachers, which is amazing.”
With the foundation doing so many good things, we asked Gloria if there's something she's most proud of.
"We have amazing teachers," she says. "I have a total new respect for teachers and the job that they do."
The LeBron James Family Foundation is doing more than giving students a quality education. They are in the process of opening a medical facility across the street from House Three Thirty that will provide physical and mental health services for the community.
We've all heard the saying: It takes a village to raise a child. The LeBron James Family Foundation has literally built a village to help those within the community.
“What we learned was that you can’t just help one person in the family and expect it to be of great significance," Gloria explains. "Even when it comes to housing or food, we address those issues also. We know that a lot of our families can’t provide meals for themselves for a full family throughout the entire month, so we have pantries.”
When it comes to the entire program, Danita noted the word "family" and its consistency within the team's operation from the school to House Three Thirty and those who work there.
“Unfortunately, some kids don’t have that in their lives," Gloria says. "True family, love, compassion, caring, support. They deserve that, and that way it’ll also help them as they grow into adulthood. Family, we take that very seriously.”
It’s clear that Gloria loves the positive impact the foundation is having on families in Akron, but her mom heart beats especially for the children.
“As a mom, I really do reflect back on LeBron when he was a child and growing up,” she says. “And just to see the growth and some happiness in their lives and some, you know, stars in their eyes and just see a bright future. It's amazing.”
Danita asked: "When you think about LeBron. We all know he’s a great basketball player, but how do you feel as a mom with the work LeBron does off the court?"
“I’m so very proud of him. I've always been very proud of him," Gloria says. "He's such a giving and caring and compassionate person. What's most important to Lebron is the work that he does off the court. That’s the changes that he makes in the lives of the people in our community. Coming from this same community at a time where we also needed this same help -- and we were able to, thank God, receive the help from the community and friends and family. They helped us through some troubling times. He’s always promised that if he was ever on that platform that that’s what he would do. Again, he’s only done what he promised to do.”