Patriots players, coaches split up visiting organizations throughout Massachusetts for ‘Community Day’

Douglas was part of a large Patriots contingent in Lawrence that included teammates Ja’Whaun Bentley, Deatrich Wise Jr. and Matthew Judon, and coaches Alex Van Pelt, Jeremy Springer, Brian Belichick and Mike Pellegrino.

“It was awesome,” Springer said of the experience. “I only wish we could have been there longer.”

Elevated Thought is an art and social justice organization that develops spaces for local youth to flourish while discovering the liberating power that being creative offers. The Patriots learned about the non-profit’s mission, connected one-on-one with its staff, and made collages out of magazine cutouts.

Meanwhile, two other groups visited the Perkins Community Center/Lee School and Lila Fredericks Middle School to help lead children through field day activities. The final quarter of the team traveled to Meryl’s Safe Haven, an emergency assistance shelter committed to assisting young people to transition to a path to self-sustainability.

“Today was a blessing,” Douglas said before leaving Lawrence. “I can tell it put a smile on a lot of people’s faces. It’s great being around artists and seeing guys get out of their comfort zone. It’s great to live in a world where people allow you to come out and be yourself.”