For LB Demario Davis, the Jets community has always been home, and he continues to find new ways to give back through his Devoted Dreamers Foundation.
Prior to returning to the field at MetLife Stadium, Davis and DDF launched the Devoted Change Maker Initiative, a new community-focused effort designed to recognize and invest in the organizations and those creating lasting impacts throughout New York and New Jersey.
"It's sort of a homecoming for us," Davis said before his first Jets home game with the Green & White since 2017. "We wanted to do something special with our foundation and what we do in the community. We just wanted to figure out a way to honor the communities of the New York tri-state area that have meant so much to us."
At each Jets home game, a different nonprofit organization will receive a $5,600 grant, inspired by Davis's jersey No. 56, to support their community efforts. When the Jets faced the Packers in Week 2, four members of the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, the first awarded organization, were in attendance.
After the game, clubhouse director Ade Kelly, community relations manager Rosa Arenas and two other members of the team had the opportunity to meet with Davis after the game.
"It definitely feels like the foundation of building a longstanding relationship," Kelly said.
The Boys and Girls Club of Newark has been involved with Davis's Devoted Dreamers Foundation since they were connected earlier this year. A few weeks ago, they hosted a kids' carnival, which Davis attended and spent the afternoon with the youngsters enrolled with the BGCN program.
"He didn't come with fanfare; he drove in himself, and his wife came later, and he was interacting with the kids the moment he stepped onto the facility," Kelly said. "He [was] in the game truck, I don't know if he was beating our kids, I think they were doing a good job. But even tossing around the football with our youth and interacting it felt natural.
"One of the kids was like 'This was the greatest day ever!'"
In December, the Boys and Girls Club of Newark will host a holiday party, using the money it received from the Devoted Change Maker Initiative grant to help fund a toy drive and provide transportation from their partner schools across Newark to come together for one event rather than separate celebrations.
"The goal is that every single kid walks out of there with a toy or two," Amanda Gonzalez, BGCN's Director of Development said.
Davis started his career with the Jets in 2012 when he was drafted in the third round of that year's draft. He played for the Green & White from 2012-15, returned in 2017 and is back once more for the 2026 season.
"When you come home to a place that gave you the opportunity to dream, you don't just come back. You give back," Davis said. "This homecoming is about more than football. It's about recognizing the people who are showing up every day and investing in the communities we all call home."
In 2013, the Devoted Dreamers Foundation was founded by the Davises to invest in the potential of young people through leadership programs, resources and community initiatives.
"Our mission has always been about helping people flourish," his wife, Tamela Davis said. "As we continue to grow, we want to invest in the people who are already doing incredible work in their communities. The Devoted Change Maker Initiative allows us to celebrate those leaders, support their work and remind them that what they're doing matters."
