ABC News/Stephen Iervolino(ATLANTA) — Tyler Perry is hoping to sow unity between the residents of Atlanta and their local police officers with his latest community outreach effort.
The 50-year-old partnered with the Atlanta Police Department and tasked its officers to disburse 1,000 Kroger gift cards that he purchased.
The officers were spotted going door to door and physically handing them out Thursday morning.
Perry said he chose this approach because he wanted to give back to his community and help repair and strengthen its relationship with the local police department.
“This is about the community that I love, that I live in and work in,” The media mogul said in a statement to ABC News. “This is about good people who are in need of a hand up not a hand out.”
“This is about the good police officers who do their job well every day some of which are my personal friends,” Perry stressed. “This is about trying to bridge unity in a city that adopted me and held me up high enough to reach my own branch on the tree of success.”
The Good Deeds star has called Atlanta his home for roughly 30 years and credits the city for helping him catch his big break.
“I love Atlanta and its people!,” Perry affirmed.
As previously reported, the Higher is Waiting author announced he would be be paying for the funeral expenses for Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by police in Atlanta on June 12.
Attorney L. Chris Stewart said on June 15, “It’s support like that and it’s people who are actually in this community, that love the community, that want healing, and [want] families like this to never have to go through something like this. It’s a step forward.”
Megan Stone
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