NBA superstar and present social activist LeBron James is developing a job training and financial literacy center in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
What We Know:
- Near the home of his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Akron is now the home of James’ 60,000-square-foot venue called House Three Thirty. According to Time magazine, the space will provide financial advice, job training, and recreational activities for area youth.
- The LeBron James Family Foundation announced other amenities, including a dining space, coffee bar, and private card room, that will be available to everyone living in Akron. “House 330 is going to be a sanctuary for our families,” said James. “It’s going to be a place where all our families can grow and learn. This will be a hub for everything possible our families will need.” According to the foundation, the facility should be opening its doors in 2022.
- The center’s name derives from the “330” area code for the city of 200,000 residents. Akron was considered by many the “Rubber Capital of the World,” although it has been struggling as it transitions from being the epicenter for tire manufacturing; being the home of Goodyear, Goodrich, and Firestone.
- James’ philanthropic efforts in Akron began with an annual bike-a-thon for charity and progressed into investing in the city’s education system. In 2013, his foundation gave $280,000 worth of Samsung tablets to elementary schoolers. In 2018, his I Promise School opened where students and their families receive access to services such as medical care and mental health support. Ultimately, High school students in the program are offered the opportunity to attend the University of Akron and Kent State University for free.
“It’s another win for our families,” says James. “But also a win for the city of Akron, and then for the people that are actually going to be there and see our model and hopefully they take it to another community as well.”
