The Seattle Sounders aren't the only ones in Mexico City with a task at hand.
Roger Levesque, the team's Director of Community Relations, also traveled to Mexico with Seattle International Foundation (SIF) and Street Soccer Seattle representatives to collaborate with Street Soccer Mexico on a variety of projects during this week's SCCL match at Estadio Azteca.
Last week, Levesque chose a winner from those who donated to his fundraising efforts and two season ticket members are now traveling with him and former Sounders midfielder Gonzalo Pineda to work on community projects in the city. If you didn't win, there's still an opportunity to donate to the projects:
- Having already established eight developmental leagues serving homeless populations in Mexico City, Street Soccer Mexico is a leader among 'Street Soccer' organizations worldwide. This grant would allow expansion into an already identified marginalized community to implement a 12-month intervention that addresses individual needs.
- Interventions are need-based, but can include access to social housing programs and health services, conflict resolution, school retention, skills training for improved job prospects, or treatment for drug addictions.
Street Soccer Seattle
- Street Soccer Seattle's biggest needs are twofold: 1) resources to increase capacity, expand programming and more fully address the needs of the youth they serve and 2) consistent access to homeless youth as well as youth in transition.
- Capacity-building begins in Mexico City as former Street Soccer Seattle President and last year's Sounders FC Community MVP will be on the ground to learn from Street Soccer Mexico's unique, need-based model.
- Back in Seattle, momentum is already building to develop strategic partnerships with outreach centers like YouthCare, creating a pipeline for complimentary programs and greater access to youth in need.
A portion of the proceeds will subsidize Sounders FC and SIF's travel expenses to Mexico City to engage Street Soccer Mexico and the homeless youth that they serve.