Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy and his mom take single moms shopping for the holidays
It wasn’t a typical Friday night at DICK’S House of Sport in Leawood.
Families who signed up in advance were greeted at the front of the store by staff members and representatives from Xavier Worthy’s The Worthy 1’s foundation — including the Chiefs wide receiver himself and his mom, Nicky Jones, who are co-founders of the foundation.
They were there for The Worthy 1’s X-Mas, an event hosted by Worthy and his mom that looked like a holiday celebration on the surface, but had a deeper mission: to center single mothers and their families during a time of year that can often be especially stressful.
“End of the year it was a real struggle and I think any single mom can relate to that … for every event I include the mom,” Jones said Friday night. “It is so important that she is not forgotten … I know what I would’ve wanted as a mom back then and that was not to be forgotten.”
Inside the store at 11801 Nall Ave., tables were set up by the foundation with Christmas goodie bags curated specifically for each mom, free school supplies families could take home, Chiefs drawstring backpacks with memorabilia, DICK’S Sporting Goods merchandise and food for families to enjoy together.
Each child also received a $200 gift card for an early Christmas shopping spree throughout the store, which came as a surprise to the families.
“This is about more than gifts,” Jones said in a press release earlier this month. “It’s about reminding families that they are seen, supported and worthy of limitless futures.”
Hosted by Worthy, Jones and The Next Paige Agency, a Kansas City talent and marketing agency, the event also partnered with Cornerstones of Care, a KC nonprofit, to support single-mother led families through a shopping experience built on community and support.
“We were so excited when Worthy 1’s approached us about this opportunity,” said Shelia Rancatore, executive director of Missouri programs and services for Cornerstones of Care. “I hope [families] leave feeling that we care.”
The Worthy 1’s foundation focuses on uplifting single mothers, youth and families by providing resources, encouragement and access, according to their website. While the end of the year and holiday season is a key moment for the foundation, Jones said the work extends year-round through initiatives like back-to-school drives and community luncheons.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas highlighted the mission of the organization in a Nov. 7 post on X, noting the number of households in the metro area led by women raising children on their own. He was pictured alongside Jones, Worthy and Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson.
“61,000 households in metro Kansas City are run by women raising children on their own. All work hard to ensure the best for their children and our cmty,” Lucas shared on X.
For Jones and Worthy, the focus on single mothers is deeply personal and intentional.
“It’s something that I can relate to,” Worthy said Friday. “It’s something that obviously hits home. My mom and I were kind of in that same predicament that some of these families are in, so we just wanted to be able to give them a helping hand and give them a different outcome.”
Worthy said that growing up in a single-mother household taught him firsthand about his mom’s strength and the sacrifices she made raising him and his two younger sisters. These were lessons that continue to shape the foundation’s work and the man he is today, he said.
“I struggled to get school clothes. I struggled to get school supplies,” Jones said. “There were times I literally could not buy a thing. God bless my son’s heart, he never complained.”
Jones said those experiences drive how the Worthy 1’s foundation’s events are curated, particularly the decision to intentionally include the mothers — not just their children.
Worthy said he hoped that families felt special upon leaving the event.
Friday’s shopping event closed with a sparkling cider toast from Worthy and Jones, who thanked each family for attending. Mothers received gift bags curated with items they had requested in their preferred colors, ensuring they, too, left feeling celebrated.
“At the end of the day it’s something [my mom and I] talked about and something we’re living,” Worthy said about co-leading his foundation with his mom.
“So it’s an honor.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 12:33 PM.
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