Professional athletes are often idolized for their athletic prowess and abilities. They seem to be bigger, stronger, faster, and more agile making them superheroes in the eyes of many. However, they’re people capable of flaws and  mistakes like the rest of us. What these athletes do in their personal lives gives us a better understanding of who they really are and whether they’re someone who we should look up to.

A sterling example of this is Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd who is using his free time to help children who desperately need it. Boyd is an example for all of us and a hero to a very special group of girls.

Matthew and his wife Ashley have basically adopted 36 girls in Uganda in order to protect them from being sold into sex slavery. The couple recently launched their nonprofit Kingdom Home, which provides a safe place for children who are in or at risk of being in sex slavery. Not only does the nonprofit provide the children with shelter, food, and clothing, it also offers them education and spiritual guidance.

“Our children are free to be children! They are encouraged to learn, grow, and serve,” the group’s website states.

Matthew and Ashley have set a goal of building four new homes in the next three years so that they can help even more young girls.

“You know what? We can end child sex trafficking in Uganda,” Matthew said. “The bad guys aren’t smarter than us. We can end this. We can outsmart them. We can beat them to the kids. We can protect them.”

The home is run by Dorothy, a 29 year-old mother of three who had rescued 25 young girls that were forced to work as sex workers. When her husband died in 2017, Dorothy was left in a desperate situation, as she had no way to pay for food, clothing, and other necessities for the girls.

That’s when Matthew and Ashley stepped in, and Dorothy refers to them as “God sent.”

“Matt and Ashley have brought a very big difference to me and the girls,” Dorothy explained. “Initially we didn’t have a good home, but now we have a home, though rented, but it’s a good place. I could not afford buying clothes for the girls but through these wonderful couple, the girls have clothes and even sandals under their feet.

“We now have three meals every day because of Matt and Ashley,” she continued. “We have water running on our tap, we no longer walk the long journey we used to walk in search for water. The girls have good beds and beddings to sleep on. They have balls to play with, which were brought by Matt and Ashley. They go to school in uniform just like the other children. We just feel at home all courtesy of Matt and Ashley. There is a lot Matt and Ashley are planning to do for us and we just thank them so much and pray for them.”

The Boyds have already planned another trip to Uganda to see their girls after the baseball season ends in the fall.

“We love them all like our own family,” Ashley said.

God bless this couple for doing everything they can to help these children in need!