Elisabeth Omilami said Prince once helped her Atlanta-based nonprofit, which feeds and clothes the poor, in a time of need.
Hosea Feed the Hungry & Homeless was "in need of funds and walking by faith," said CEO Omilami said in an email to supporters and in an interview.
It was either 2008 or 2009, she said. One day her chief financial officer came into her office after receiving an anonymous call that there was a package at the post office.
Omilami recalls seeing the words “Prince” and “Prince Foundation” with an Atlanta P.O. Box in the return space. Inside was a check for $25,000, she said in an interview.
When they sent a thank you note, it was returned. The box had been closed.
Omilami, though, has no doubt it was Prince who sent the check.
“Someone later told me that he does this in a lot of different cities where he has concerts,” she said.
Omilami said she doesn’t have a copy of the check at hand.
She’s sure there’s one at the office, but “that was over six years ago. I have been thinking how on Earth would we look through all the files to find that cancelled check.”
She said there was never additional communication.
Hosea Feed the Hungry was founded in the 1970s by her parents, civil rights activists Hosea and Juanita Williams.
Since Prince’s death on April 21 at age 57, though, there have been numerous stories about his generosity.
Did that generosity extend to Atlanta? It may be difficult to ever know for sure whether Prince helped Hosea Feed the Hungry, but Omilami is certain the multi-talented artist was her Good Samaritan that day.
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