Quick answer: On Call Her Daddy, La La Anthony tells Alex Cooper that she works mostly in the Rikers Island building that houses young men aged 18 to 21. She started by sitting in on sessions of Pastor Tim Johnson's "Fatherless No More" initiative and now mentors on her own as well. She says that "when I see these young men who are incarcerated, I see my son's face."
Source: Call Her Daddy, "La La Anthony: Life After Professional Athletes," clipped as a YouTube Short.
How she got started
"I work a lot in the RNDC building, which is generally 18 to 21, so the younger population," she says. "There was a pastor that was running an initiative called Fatherless No More, his name is Pastor Tim Johnson, who I love, and I sat in on a lot of his sessions with his group of young men." From there she kept working with him and began "to mentor and do my own thing as well."
She also jokes about what visits take: you can't bring your phone, and "you don't realize how hard it is to go eight, nine, 10 hours without your phone."
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Why it matters to her
"I see how one bad decision can change your whole life," she says, "and sometimes it's just peer pressure, following friends, being in the wrong place at the wrong time." She calls the young men "amazing, beautiful" and says environment and upbringing shaped their paths in ways she can relate to.
"I'm all about second chances," she says, and about "giving them the tools they need so when they do re-enter into the community, they can be assets." She says she gives back in many ways, but this one feels like "my calling, this is my passion."
Real-name note
La La Anthony was born Alani Nicole Vázquez in Brooklyn, New York (Wikipedia). Read more on her Real Name Of profile.
More on RealNameOf: - Learn More About La La Anthony - News about La La Anthony - Podcasters' real names
FAQ
What is La La Anthony's real name? Alani Nicole Vázquez.
What does La La Anthony do at Rikers Island? She mentors young men, mostly aged 18 to 21. She started through Pastor Tim Johnson's "Fatherless No More" sessions.
Why does she do it? She says she sees her son in them, and she believes in second chances.