Volunteers of America Fields Team of Homeless Players To Compete In Washington, D.C. Street Soccer USA Cup
After Months of Practicing,
For Immediate Release:
July 30, 2009
Contact: David Burch
703-341-5054 or dburch@voa.org
Volunteers of America, one of the nation’s leading providers of programs, shelters and services for homeless individuals and families across the nation, announced today that it has a team arriving in Washington, D.C to compete in the Street Soccer USA Cup, at Kastles Stadium (11th and H streets, N.W.), July 31 through August 2.
The Volunteers of America team from Sacramento, Calif. includes three men who participate in the Volunteers of America two-year transitional housing and job-training program for homeless individuals and two men who graduated from the program. The men range in age from 20 to 40.
Chris Mann, a Volunteers of America staff member who has volunteered to coach and manage this extraordinary team of athletes, says the group has been working hard since forming the squad in November 2008 – taking advantage of donated indoor practice space and playing in an indoor city soccer league December through January. In May, Mann raised $1,250 for the team through his participation in the Napa Valley Vintage Half-Iron Triathlon. None of the men on the team has ever played competitive soccer. In addition to the thrill of playing soccer, the men will do a lot of sightseeing while they’re in D.C. too as this is their first time to be in the nation’s capitol.“Our goal is to make people aware of Volunteers of America and to spread the word that we have amazing programs and services,” said Mann. “Since we’ve started the team, five have gotten jobs and the others are in school – and all six have quit smoking.”
Sixteen cities are represented in this year’s SSUSA Cup competition, which features athletes from homeless shelters around the country. They include: Ann Arbor, Mich.; Atlanta, Ga.; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Fort Worth, Texas; Los Angeles, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Montgomery County, Md.; New York, N.Y.; Richmond, Va.; San Francisco; St. Louis, Mo.; and Washington, D.C.
Consisting of two rounds of round-robin competition, followed by a single-elimination third round, the Street Soccer USA Cup aims to “get homeless men, women and youth off the streets – scoring goals on the field, and achieving their goals in life.”
“It’s an honor to work with this group and watch the truth about their lives unfold,” said Mann. “It gives the people I have come in contact with incredible satisfaction to know that their hard work is paying off.”
Volunteers of America is 113-year old, national human service organization headquartered in Alexandria, Va. The Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada affiliate of Volunteers of America was established in 1911 and is one of the largest providers of social services in the region, operating programs dedicated to ending homelessness, supporting the most vulnerable populations and transforming communities. Each night, Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada provides housing for as many as 1,800 men, women and children in its service communities.
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About Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive social services organizations, serving more than 2 million people in over 400 communities. The national, nonprofit, faith-based organization is dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential through highly effective programs and services, including housing and health care.
About Street Soccer USA
Street Soccer USA is a sports-based organization focused on eradicating homelessness and poverty via onsite soccer programs and community building at social service agencies and homeless shelters across the nation. Under the auspices of its parent organization, HELP USA, Street Soccer USA presents the annual Street Soccer USA Cup, which brings together the 16-team league comprised of homeless men and women across the United States for three days of competition and camaraderie. The top eight players at the SSUSA Cup, who exemplify leadership, sportsmanship, and skill both on and off the field, go on to represent the United States in the 48-nation Homeless World Cup. This year, the Homeless World Cup will be held in Milan, Italy in September 2009.
