A Manchester United player is using his platform to help people. Many players and clubs have reached out during the Black Lives Matter movement to declare their support. The usage of their platform is to help further spread the message. Marcus Rashford is using his platform to call action upon the government.
For the six-week summer break, the British government has taken away free school meal vouchers. Normally families can get £15 a week for each child to use at supermarkets for food. But with the repeal, many families will further struggle during the pandemic.
The 22-year-old has asked the government to repeal the action and help families during this difficult time. Luckily, they agreed and continue providing support to the children in need. However, Rashford wants to continue this campaign.
He spoke up about his childhood experiences with struggling families.
“The system was not built for families like mine to succeed, regardless of how hard my mum worked. Political affiliations aside, can we not all agree that no child should be going to be hungry?
“As a black man from a low-income family in Wythenshawe, Manchester, I could have been just another statistic,” said Rashford in a letter to the Prime Minister.
He spoke about how his mom worked full time at a minimum wage job just to ensure that they had an evening meal.
Rashford has helped with many charities. During the pandemic, he has used his platform to raise over £20 million with his work with FareShare. He was able to get stores like Asda, Tesco and The Co-Op to pitch in. This has been able to help over three million people get free meals.
Last Christmas he did the “In The Box” campaign to help families. He challenged people to fill a shoebox of essential items and donate them to homeless shelters.
Rashford has also taught PE lessons to kids for BBC’s Celebrity Supply Teacher program during the pandemic. He also learned sign language so he could help judge a poetry competition for deaf children.
For Rashford’s help in the community, he received an award from the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Eamonn O’Neal.
“Due to the selfless actions of my mum, my family, my neighbours, and my coaches, the only stats I’m associated with are goals, appearances and caps.
“I would be doing myself, my family and my community an injustice if I didn’t stand here today with my voice and my platform and ask you for help,” Rashford continue in his letter.
With Rashford sticking up for the 1.3 million children in low income families, they can continue to receive the vouchers. Rashford will probably continue using his platform to help people. It will just be a matter of who and what next.
