Meet William Johnson of Picking Up the Ball in Metro Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to William Johnson.

William, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Coming from Albany, Georgia, I was always moved by three things being entrepreneurship, sports, and sneakers. I went to Georgia State University and upon graduating, I knew that corporate America was not where I wanted to spend the majority of my life. I wanted to move in the space where I felt I was needed the most. This space led me to becoming part owner in my own gym, fulfilling that entrepreneur aspect I sought and helped me to find a love that I am forever committed to.

This love came upon visiting a local middle school and seeing the conditions of the clothing of the students attending. Some had shoes that were too small while others had shoes that were barely functional. This brought back the memories of what life lessons sneakers taught me in addition to how it made me feel about myself. This epiphany led me to start Picking Up the Ball, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of “at risk” communities through social, economic, and health education.

Our prized initiative that stemmed from the middle school visit was an initiative we call Just One Pair. This initiative is geared towards impacting the lives of low-income youth through sneakers. We know that sneakers are a big thing with today’s youth, so how can we use sneakers to change lives. Whether it be using a sneaker as a reward or using a sneaker as an educational moment, we sought to create a lasting impression through giving each child the same feeling and emotion when we all opened the box to our first pair of shoes.

Since our beginning, we have been able to serve over 300+ students in the Metro Atlanta area and look to continue impact the lives of kids through sneaker culture for years to come.

Just One Pair started from an effort by its original founder to provide sneakers to several kids at an Atlanta middle school who needed shoes but could not afford them. While personally delivering the shoes to the individuals a lasting effect was created. The glow that each shoe created in the eyes of the kids was priceless. Their expressions spoke of love, appreciation, and a feeling of relief that they now own something of their own. As Just One Pair continues to grow, we hope to provide each student with the same experience given to these young men and women. We know that experiences like this help to shape the lives of kids all over Atlanta, as well as our nation. We look forward to your help as we continue to change lives one shoe at a time.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Upon starting, we were unsure where we would get the money from to serve the youth, let alone start a non-profit. Sure it’s easy to ask people for money to help but that has become the norm of our society. The best way for me to promote and get people knowledgeable of what I was seeking to do with Just One Pair was to “live it”. With this thought in mind, a friend and myself decided to put ourselves in the shoes of the individuals we were serving. For the next 30 days, we chose to wear one pair of shoes for all occasions whether it be working out, dinner, church, or a formal function. Wherever you saw me, you saw the same shoes. I was so committed to the cause that I stated that I would wear the shoes until I was able to have funding to purchase shoes for 50 kids. Soon after, I began to experience the simple things I took for granted in being able to switch out shoes for different occasions.

This was a privilege that these kids didn’t have, often having to share shoes with their siblings. If wearing one pair of shoes, everyday, wasn’t enough, I purchased the shoes in too small of a size. I mean I liked the shoe and I thought this challenge would be a breeze. I shared the journey I was embarking on and the cause with many of my friends and peers through social media. It was interesting to see my peers look for the shoes on my feet while I was out during my normal day. My commitment to this cause even led friends to join in on the journey, most of them not making it the entire 30 days. It was fine because I challenged them to donate a dollar every time they switched shoes. To my amazement, donations started rolling in from people who heard about what I was doing to people who just wanted to see me in a different pair of shoes.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Picking Up the Ball story. Tell us more about the business.
Picking Up the Ball is a youth enrichment organization created to provide new opportunities for underserved youths and families to thrive within neighboring communities of Metropolitan Atlanta. PUTB enhances the lives of youths served and their families by concentrating our resources to promote healthy lifestyles, academic success, and active communities that equip youths with the skills needed to do well in life. It is our vision to serve and provide urban youths and communities with the necessary tools to empower stakeholders to make decisions that will change their life paths for the better. It is our mission to provide the urban community with the resources and education needed to improve their overall quality of life and affinity for success.

Our Initiatives
PUTB’s organizational objectives are facilitated through 3 primary initiatives: the Just 1 Pair initiative, Community in Action initiative, and Feet & Heartbeats initiative.

Just One Pair is an initiative that aims to highlight the impact of juvenile poverty on academic success by leveraging shoes and fashion to increase morale, reward scholastic performance, and meet the basic needs of youths living in poverty. Through the J1P initiative, our organization commits to providing 50 students with new shoes that they can be proud to wear as a sign of merit for their continuous efforts in advancing academically. Furthermore, this initiative also serves as a source of positive encouragement and channel for mentoring youths who may have otherwise found themselves as participants in local gang activities, community crime activity, and/or escalated violence within the neighborhood.

Community in Action (C.I.A) is an initiative that aims to provide resources to the children of low incomes communities in an effort to change the total economical state of the community. Provided resources include food, clothing, and educational resources and training. Through the C.I.A. network, the organization commits to aiding the community in its fight against child starvation, poverty, and the increase of high school dropouts. Feet and Heartbeats (F&H) is an initiative that aims to promote healthy living in the communities that suffer from obesity and health issues related to a lack of physical activity. Healthy living will be promoted through program activities such as youths engaging in sports such as football, soccer, and kickball. In addition to those aforementioned activities, F&H will also provide health screenings and seminars to educate the community on those prominent health issues impacting their specific community.

As a company, we are most proud for how many students we have been able to serve throughout Atlanta and we keep serving. Recently, we were able to partner with The Sneakerball Atlanta to give 25 students a Sneakerball Experience. These students not only received a pair of shoes but they participated in The Celebration Bowl tailgate, engaged in interviews with local radio stations, and had the chance to experience The Celebration Bowl game. Them being able to see individuals who look like themselves engage in a collegiate environment was an experience that they truly enjoyed and will always hold dear to their heart.

In our initiatives, we look to be genuine in our participation. One example is in regards to our Just One Pair initiative. Most sneakers initiatives collect “gently” worn shoes. It’s our goal to always donate new shoes because the kids we serve have always had “hand me down” items but we want to show them that they are deserving of their own and something that they can experience for themselves.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe that things are meant to happen and whether good or bad, everything leads to the final destination that you were meant to inhabit.

Contact Info:

• Website: justonepair.com
• Email: w.t.johnson15@gmail.com
• Instagram: justonepair

Image Credit:
Kareem Yearwood

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