Chargers' Isaac Rochell launches Local Human fundraiser to help senior citizens amid coronavirus crisis
The Chargers' Isaac Rochell and his neighbors have launched a new apparel line of "QUARANTEAM" T-shirts.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As a member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Isaac Rochell is used to being a hero on the football field. But with sports on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, he's doing something even more heroic -- he's making sure local seniors don't go hungry.
With off-season workouts put on hold, defensive end Rochell found he had a lot of extra time on his hands. So he teamed up with some of his neighbors to make a difference.
"We kind of built out this whole initiative called Local Human, and what Local Human wants to do is give back to humans," said Rochell.
It's an apparel brand with intention. Their first campaign is a partnership with Meals on Wheels to target seniors who are considered high-risk for the coronavirus.
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"Every shirt -- I have the shirt on -- that we sell for this current campaign is going be three meals and a wellness check-in. A wellness check is just, 'Hey, how are you doing? How has the day been? Are you OK?'," Rochell said.
Although Meals on Wheels is a federally supported program, it's significantly underfunded, especially now.
"Given the climate of COVID-19 and kind of where they're at in the amount of clients that they've had, the increased clients that they've had, I mean they're in jeopardy of not having enough money to last through June," Rochell said.
As a professional athlete, he says he's been given a platform and therefore has an obligation to give back.
"If that obligation takes me to selling 10 T-shirts, like I said, that's OK. That's 30 more meals that Meals on Wheels can provide and 10 more wellness checks that they can provide. If we sell 10,000 shirts, it's gonna be 30,000 meals and I'll be juiced up either way," Rochell said.
Printed on the shirts is the word "QUARANTEAM."
"It's crazy because we all have to be six feet away from each other and we can't talk and we can't do all these things, but we feel united. We are in my opinion part of a quaranteam," Rochell said.
Rochell says he'd love for the program to become a national initiative, but right now he's focused on Southern California.
The T-shirt costs just under $30.
To purchase a shirt, visitlocalhuman.co
