Joselyn Ruiz and her two sons arrived in New York City more than a year ago after immigrating from Venezuela. Her oldest son had a hard time transitioning from shelter to shelter, but since she enrolled him in a soccer program designed for kids like him, she's seen a big change.
“Finding this program has helped us a lot,” Lewis said. “He's gotten better grades in school and has improved a lot.”
Lewis' son is one of 50 children between the ages of 8 and 14 who have had the opportunity to play through the A3FC soccer program, the brainchild of 16-year-old Talia Landesberg.
“We started hearing about an increasing number of immigrant families living in shelters in New York,” Landesberg said. “And when I thought about how I could help, I thought of my favorite sport, soccer.”
The program creates spaces for immigrant children to just be kids through connections with local nonprofit Artists, Athletes, and Activists. It has become a respite for some of the thousands of immigrant families facing hardship after arriving in New York City.
This program not only allows kids to be kids and enjoy the sport they love, but also provides free meals, uniforms, and transportation to the soccer field. Volunteers also help immigrant parents fill out paperwork and answer questions.
It also helped immigrant parents and children connect with each other. Jenny Fernandez's 12-year-old son joined the team two months ago.
“It's been really good for him. It's a lot of fun for them to be on the field, hang out with their teammates, have to wear the uniform and get their shoes together,” Fernandez said.
Best of all, kids develop friendships and community on the field.
“It's an escape for them and an opportunity to feel like they belong,” said Power Malu, founder of Artists, Athletes and Activists. He is an Afro-Puerto Rican activist who started his career in hip-hop and has since focused on establishing his fitness. Through our nonprofit organization, we offer other programs for underserved communities.
For Landesberg, the sport was a way to provide a sense of community for his children.
“A lot of them don't speak the same language. We have kids from all over the world, like Afghanistan and Venezuela,” she said. “But through sport they can communicate. Soccer is a universal language.”
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