Beating homelessness through soccer
The greatest threat to the homeless isn’t a lack of shelter, it’s a lack of community. Street Soccer 945 seeks to build that community and support through soccer.
Street Soccer 945 promotes healthy living and builds teams that help the homeless through personal relationships. The positive power of sport coupled with goal oriented teammates is showing to be a remarkable tool as 75% of final team members move off the street, and over 90% make a significant life change.
Street Soccer 945 is the first year-round soccer program for the homeless in the US, and is the founding program of Street Soccer USA. The program was started by Lawrence Cann and Jessica Woody, who envisioned soccer as a way to empower people struggling without shelter. Street Soccer USA has become the organizing body for grassroots soccer programming in the US, and was incubated within Street Soccer 945 until it opened as its own non-profit organization in New York.
Participants play in local amateur leagues, attend weekly practices, and meet with the Urban Ministry Center staff to set personal goals. All players have the opportunity to compete for the Street Soccer USA Cup and to make the national squad for the Homeless World Cup. In 2009 Charlotte’s own Ebony Wright was chosen as the only female to represent the US at the Homeless World Cup in Milan, Italy. In September 2010 Charlotte’s Leslie Bradford was the goalkeeper for the first US Women’s Team at the Homeless World Cup.
As individuals and as a team, Street Soccer is striving to reach goals, on and off the field.
To learn more please visit: www.urbanministrycenter.org / www.streetsoccerusa.org / www.homelessworldcup.org
Special thanks to Jonathan George