On any given night at FedExForum, the roar of the crowd celebrates a win on the court. Thanks to the Grizzlies Foundation, a quieter kind of victory is unfolding in classrooms, mentoring circles and Memphis neighborhoods where young lives are being transformed.
Abusheri Ohwofasa, Vice President of Community Engagement and Grizzlies Foundation Executive Director, explains that, while child poverty is central to the organization's mission, the work reaches far beyond that single issue. "Child poverty is the context that drives our commitment to mentoring and education," she says. "We know that too many young people in Memphis face barriers that are bigger than what happens in a classroom or on a basketball court, so our goal is to help surround them with caring adults who stay in their lives."
The Grizzlies’ community engagement efforts are built around three pillars: education, health and fitness, and service. According to Ohwofasa, the strength of the model lies in how those pillars overlap. A student receiving school supplies might also join a reading program, attend a fitness event and meet a mentor, all through the same network of support. The scale is significant. "We held 181 total events, serving more than 116,000 people across 33 ZIP codes during the 2026 season,” she notes, citing the organization's most recent impact report.
For the Grizzlies Foundation, mentorship sits at the heart of it all. It runs TEAM Mentor, which pairs three adult mentors with six students to build lasting relationships. At the same time, MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies works to strengthen mentoring citywide by funding more than 65 local programs that have reached over 15,000 young people. "When it comes to mentoring, we do the work directly, but we also help other organizations do their work better," Ohwofasa says.
The impact shows up in individual stories. One TEAM Mentor participant, matched with a Grizzlies employee as his mentor, went from feeling uncertain about his future to touring college campuses, joining the Youth Advisory Council and eventually flying to Washington, D.C. for the National Mentoring Summit. He described his mentor as someone who "actually puts time and effort into the relationship. He goes above and beyond."
The numbers back up those individual moments. Every participant in TEAM Mentor reported forming strong relationships with their mentors, and 80 percent said their mentor positively impacted their life. Reported stress levels among participating youth dropped by nearly half over the past year.
Grizzlies players and coaches often bring their own causes to the organization. Zach Randolph, known to fans as Z-Bo, was a great example of a player whose connection to Memphis went far beyond basketball. Prior to his 2019 retirement, he paid MLGW bills and sponsored holiday shopping sprees for needy families, provided gifts and experiences to St. Jude’s young patients fighting cancer, helped fund meal programs to feed local students and families during school closures and famously visited homeless shelters as “Z-Bo Claus.” Having grown up receiving angel tree gifts himself, Z-Bo made it a priority to sponsor children through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program.
His example still resonates. "I had several players come up to me and say, 'I want to do what Z-Bo did,'" Ohwofasa recalls. That spirit lives on through current players, too. GG Jackson II provided gifts to uplift and support breast cancer survivors, Cedric Coward has distributed food baskets at Streets Ministries and Zach Edey has supported the Memphis Humane Society with both his time and his resources.
For Ohwofasa, the work has deepened her appreciation for her adopted city. "Memphis is one of the most philanthropic cities," she says. "People here do not wait for someone else to care. They organize, volunteer, mentor, donate, advocate and show up for young people and families in personal ways." She adds that what she loves most about Memphis is simple: "It's a city with soul."
Since its founding in 2004, the Grizzlies Foundation has invested more than $54.6 million in the Memphis and Mid-South community, with a focus on preparing young people for success in college, careers and life. As the organization looks ahead, including toward the future renovation of FedExForum, Ohwofasa sees the mission staying the same. "When Memphis' young people are supported, Memphis is stronger."
"When Memphis' young people are supported, Memphis is stronger."