Creator of the Kwanza Fund, Lazone Grays, Aims to Alleviate Poverty by Supporting Grassroots Programs
By Katie Moore, The Topeka Capital-Journal – Lazone Grays recently created the Kwanza Fund to tackle the root causes of poverty that continue to afflict people in Topeka.
Grays teamed up with Dave Fowler, owner of Rewards Wireless, 826 S. Kansas Ave., to raise money to get the project off the ground through an innovative funding avenue. New or current users of the mobile service can direct $5 of their monthly bill to go into the Kwanza Fund. The advantage of this model is that the donor isn’t spending any additional money, Grays said.
“Dave and his company are giving us a boost to move forward,” Grays said.
“We both have a heart to help people that need help,” Fowler added.
Grays said traditional grant funding isn’t always reliable because of shifts in giving and public funds. But cellphone service has longevity which makes giving sustainable, he said. Fowler said there are more than 100,000 mobile phone lines in Topeka. Read the full story at The Topeka Capital-Journal.
