Ty Montgomery Sending 11 Former Foster Kids to Israel
NFL Veteran Ty Montgomery to Send 11 Former Foster Kids To the Holy Land for Transformative Experience New England Patriot teaming up with Atlanta-based Connections Homes to share FIRM Ministries Jerusalem Encounter with foster care alumni from five states NASCAR stars Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace contribute to the cause FOXBOROUGH, MASS. (May 18, 2023) – New England Patriots wide receiver Ty Montgomery will send 11 former foster kids on a 10-day Jerusalem Encounter group tour of Israel this summer in what he hopes will be a transformative experience for all who attend. The trip comes at a time in their lives when the foster care alumni are learning to live on their own and transition out of the state’s foster care network.
“I want to send these people to Israel because God has asked me to, and I believe this experience will transform their lives,” said Montgomery, who went on a tour of the Holy Land in the spring of 2022 and described his experience as nothing short of transformative. Connections Homes, a 501(c)3 based in Atlanta, Ga., worked with Montgomery to select 11 young adults, ages 18 to 24, from around the nation, including the states of Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Texas. Each one has recently aged out of foster care, a community that Montgomery holds dear as he watched his mother, Lisa Montgomery, foster many youth during his own childhood in Dallas, Texas. “Those who have been in the foster care system will always hold a special place in my heart,” Montgomery explained. “I know the love they need. I saw it firsthand as my mom raised 17 foster youth alongside me. What better way to impact the lives of those exiting foster care than providing this experience of a lifetime.” The Jerusalem Encounter tour begins June 6, and is hosted by Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (FIRM), which will take the My 10 Percent group on a life-changing, 10-day journey through the Holy Land. Those on the tour will experience Israel and the word of the Bible, as they enrich their relationship with Jesus while discovering the roots of their faith. “Most of these young adults have never been on a plane -- let alone travel internationally -- so I hope this brings the Bible to life for them,” said Pam Parish, founder and CEO of Connections Homes. “Shared experiences like this are often quite powerful and quite healing, especially as they see where Jesus walked.”
Montgomery’s own 501(c)3, My 10 Percent, is currently raising funds to help cover all expenses for the trip, which he hopes to make an annual event. Professional race car drivers, Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, and Bubba Wallace, have made substantial donations to Montgomery’s efforts through their foundations, the Chase Elliott Foundation and the Bubba Wallace Live to Be Different Foundation, in support of tour members from their respective home states of Georgia and North Carolina. Those interested in supporting Montgomery’s effort can visit www.connectionshomes.org/my10percent/ to learn more and donate. About My 10 Percent Established in 2018 by NFL veteran Ty Montgomery, My 10 Percent is a 501(c)3 charity that supports and empowers the forgotten youth in society, by giving them hope for a future that they desire and faith that what they desire is possible. My 10 Percent has provided support for efforts surrounding the care of foster youth and adoption; efforts to prevent human trafficking; efforts to provide care for children of homeless families; and education around sickle cell disease and bone marrow transplants. About Connections Homes Connections Homes, based in Atlanta, Ga., is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting young adults, ages 18–24, who’ve aged out of foster care, to Mentoring Families who commit to being a lifelong safe support system. At any given time, over 85,000 young men and women are living life unconnected to family or a caring, stable adult. Many live on streets, in shelters and in dangerous situations because they have nowhere to turn. Connections Homes works to change outcomes for this forgotten population by connecting them with families who will walk with them in life and guide them to a successful future. About Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries FIRM, Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries, is a 501(c)3 ministry based in the heart of Jerusalem who believes Israel can make an impact on everyone’s life, and everyone has a role to play in Israel’s story. Their vision: To see a day when every person in Israel is transformed by the love of Yeshua (Jesus). Their mission: To engage Christians and empower local ministries to see lives transformed in Israel. For more information visit www.FIRMIsrael.org -30-