Meet Emondre!

We want to give a big welcome to our newest Program Coordinator, Emondre Johnson! Read below to learn a little about him and why he’s excited to join the team! 

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Tell us about yourself! 

I am from Birmingham, AL - born and raised. In the early years, I went to Glen Iris Elementary, Barrett Elementary, Ossie Ware Middle School and then on to Woodlawn High School. After high school, I traveled to Huntsville where I continued my education at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. 

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Play in sports?

Growing up I played basketball, football, baseball, lacrosse, and did track and field., but basketball is my strongest and my favorite sport to play.

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We hear that you’re no stranger to working with nonprofits. Tell us more about yours that you started. 

Yep, I would say that going off to college was the best decision I could have made because I was forced to take a course that required community hours to pass the class. Though I’ve always had a heart for wanting to better my community, I found my passion for giving back while going through that college course and it led to me starting my very own nonprofit here in Birmingham. 

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My nonprofit organization, Eastern Toys, was founded in 2017 with a mission to give deserving children and families Christmas toys, but better yet, the greatest gift of all, love. Throughout the years, I have been able to provide for more than 250 kids and families. A typical giveback day for Eastern Toys includes our team feeding attendees a nice meal and some Christmas snacks, giving the kids a Christmas activity to do, sharing a small introduction and message about the foundation, doing a gift card raffle for the parents, allowing the kids to pick out a book, and last by not least, letting the kids grab their toys.

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What do you like to do in your free time? 

In my free time, I like to take photos of my pets and all the pets around Birmingham. 

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Give us a fun fact about yourself!

I have an animal science degree and have three dogs. I have always liked learning about animals of all sorts. 

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What are you most excited about joining the ZeroZero team? 

I am most excited about joining ZeroZero because I get to fulfill my passion of giving back and provide opportunities to the kids in our programs. I'm excited to learn and grow with each kid and see each of them reach their full potential. 

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Any other final thoughts?

I'm excited to be here and work alongside an amazing group of people!