Both Chuckie Keeton and Riley Larkin are new to the Patriots, joining New England's coaching staff as offensive assistants under head coach Mike Vrabel.

But when it came time to lace up for the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative, both chose to represent causes rooted in their personal journeys – proof that even as they embrace their roles with the Patriots, they haven't forgotten the communities and values that helped get them here.

In fact, their using their platform to put those communities and values on in prime time.

Riley Larkin raises awareness about Ben Curtis Family Foundation's fight to end food insecurity for children in northeast Ohio

Raised by two educators in the Kent City Schools system, Larkin realized at an early age how fortunate he was just to eat lunch every day.

While his meals were packed for him, the percentage of kids he went to school with who were on food subsidy programs was overwhelmingly high. Larkin vowed that if he ever had the means to help alleviate food insecurity in his hometown, he would.

"I started to realize how fortunate I was because I was going to school with kids who couldn't afford lunch," said Larkin.

"My mom packed me a lunch every day, so I realized how lucky I was. Especially when I got to high school, I realized how many of my classmates were receiving free and reduced lunches. That made me really appreciate what I had, and I knew if I ever made it back to Kent and had the ability to help out, I would."

The NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative provided exactly that opportunity – his first chance to use his individual platform to give back. And as the Patriots host the New York Giants for Monday Night Football on December 1, Larkin has chosen to highlight the Ben Curtis Family Foundation.

The nonprofit was started by PGA Tour winner Ben Curtis, also from Kent.

Larkin does golf recreationally, but the connection to the nonprofit came through his family's friendship with Curtis given the impact his charity has on kids in the area.

Through its programming, the foundation works to help alleviate food insecurity by distributing food to the most vulnerable children.

"The Ben Curtis Foundation really prides themselves in giving nutritious, balanced meals," said Larkin.

"They do a good job of making sure that all the students and athletes in Kent are fed, and not just the cheapest thing on the shelves, but food that is nutritious and best for them."

Having been diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was 15 years old, Larkin knows how important a factor food quality is for not only a child's health, but also their emotional and cognitive behavior.

As he began coaching himself, first at the high school level before moving up the ranks to Middle Tennessee State and then Ohio State, he became increasingly aware of how widespread food insecurity has become.

"You hear some of these stories when you're recruiting these players and it's unbelievable the situations that some of these guys come from," Larkin said.

"You wish you could help every single person and every kid in America to make sure they have three meals a day. But the starting point for me is Kent, Ohio, and the place I grew up in and the families I know, because it means a lot to me."

Learn more about the Ben Curtis Family Foundation here.

Chuckie Keeton brings Fellowship of Christian Athletes mission to the NFL

Chuckie Keeton first heard of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while attending the Manning Passing Academy.

He was 10 or 12 years old at the time, and though the international nonprofit Christian sports ministry piqued his interest, Keeton says its meetings were a bit too early in the morning.

Years later, while playing quarterback at Utah State University, he finally got involved and helped bring a chapter of FCA to Logan, Utah.

"When you talk about just the name of it – Fellowship of Christian Athletes – that's the epitome of it right there," Keeton said of FCA, a non-denominational Christian sports organization that focuses on coaches, campus, camp, and community ministry.

"You're connecting multiple schools and expanding it further as people from all different walks of life come into contact with each other."

Keeton went to a private Christian school as a child in California, and when he and his family eventually moved to Texas, he continued to grow in his faith.

By the time he got to Utah he craved that community he was used to. Around 2012, Keeton and a few others within the athletic department decided to bring an FCA chapter to their campus.

The chapter started out modestly, with 10-12 people across different sports meeting once a week in the defensive line room. From there, it continued to grow.

"In the state of Utah, the predominant religion is the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints," Keeton said.

"We were a little bit of a change to some extent within the state, but even so, teammates had an open opportunity to come around and speak open and freely. In a world where religion is so debated or conflicting with one another, we found the common ground and found the love that really everything was built and based upon. So, expanding further than just people with your same mindset and continuing to build relationships outside of that group was probably the coolest and most eye-opening aspect for me."

This will be Keeton's second time representing FCA for My Cause My Cleats, having first participated in the initiative last year while on the Seattle Seahawks staff.

In the same way that a football locker room brings people of all backgrounds and beliefs together under a common goal, Keeton sees a similar theme with the growth of FCA.

"More than anything, maybe we aren't on the same page or don't have the same ideals," Keeton said.

"But there's an understanding that we really are here for one another, to love and support and bring others closer to God."

Learn more about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes here.