Please Donate to My I RUN FOR Project

I love our cause because people who participate stay involved and give back. Formerly homeless Chris Lodgeson is about to finish Baruch College. He's a SSUSA Grad from HELP USA's SEC in NY. I and volunteer Nell Baird are running with him. Sponsor us through crowdrise as learn more at the site. Thanks! Please support me and Donate to My Cause. It's so fast and easy you won't even believe it, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support. If the link above doesn't work for you, use this link instead: http://www.crowdrise.com/helpchrisrun/fundraiser/lawrencecann If you have any questions, you can email me or email Crowdrise for the most amazing customer service in the world. Thanks so much, Lawrence You have received this email because a friend or at least someone who thinks you like them wants you to know about Crowdrise. Crowdrise does not store your email address and will not send you any emails as a result of this email from your friend so no need to worry. If you decide you love Crowdrise, be sure to sign up for your own account so you can receive our fairly interesting emails. Please see our Privacy Policy at the link below or Contact Us at quintas@crowdrise.com if you have any questions.

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Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation Sponsors 2 Bay Area Players at 2011 Homeless World Cup in Paris

Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SSVCF), true to its mission of "building community through soccer," is stepping forward to sponsor two Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) national team members from the Bay Area to compete in the annual Homeless World Cup tournament in Paris at the end of August.

The annual Homeless World Cup is a world-class, international street soccer competition that unites players from 56 nations across the world to fight homelessness through soccer. SSUSA organizes teams at homeless shelters, employment programs, and recovery houses across the country to help teens and adults achieve positive outcomes in education, jobs, and housing placement. Each year SSUSA selects 8 exceptional men and women from its various programs to participate in the games. Two of the players are from the SSUSA Bay Area program.

"I was able to attend the Street Soccer USA national championships at Washington, D.C. last June while in town for a San Jose Earthquakes game," said SSVCF president Don Gagliardi. "I was really impressed with the competitive drive and sportsmanship of the players on all the teams. They have obviously had a rough go of it in their lives or they wouldn't be homeless, but they all exhibited the spirit of champions. It was a real reminder that the homeless are our neighbors and a part of our community, too. I'm really happy SSV Community Foundation is able to help send a pair of players from the Bay Area to Paris to represent our community as our ambassadors through soccer."

Street Soccer USA Bay Area Director Rob Cann added, "We are thankful to the Foundation and all Quakes fans to be able to send our two amazing players to Paris for the Homeless World Cup in what will be a life-changing experience. Don and the SSVCF have proved again that when it comes to supporting soccer in the Bay Area they are making a huge difference."

Dave Kovich, 38, is originally from Kansas City, Missouri and is a graduate of the University of Kansas and Johnson and Wales Culinary School. After suffering familial problems and financial hardship, he relocated to San Francisco and has been living in the St. Vincent de Paul Shelter. Through SSUSA he revised his resume and received preferred interviews at several restaurants. He is now working as a cook in Sausalito, CA. He will play goalkeeper for Team USA.

Carlos Trujillo, 21, came to the US from Colombia when he was 16 years old. His family moved from place to place and ended up doubling up with other families and friends; he has never had his own place to live while in the US. Through SSUSA, Carlos enrolled at the San Francisco Conservation Corps a year ago, received his high school diploma and is now taking classes at City College as part of their teaching program.

In addition to the support of SSVCF, Quakes striker Chris Wondolowski, who won the 2010 Golden Boot as the top goal scorer in Major League Soccer, also recently signed on as a Street Soccer USA National Ambassador. Street Soccer USA also enjoys the support of HELP USA, Sheila Johnson, the Ted Leonsis Foundation and the US Soccer Foundation.

About SSUSA:
Street Soccer USA (SSUSA), www.streetsoccerusa.org, is a development program of HELP USA, which believes ending homelessness is a team sport. Through a systematic approach, SSUSA Builds community and trust through sport with participants and volunteers, transforming the context within which they live from one of isolation, abuse, and marginalization, to one of community, purpose, and achievement, requires participants to set 3, 6, and 12-month life goals, and empowers participants by providing access to services and educational/employment opportunities through our Jobs Academy.

SSUSA has achieved a greater than 75% success rate working with a participant pool for which a 33% success rate is considered enormously successful. To date this accounts for placement of 485 homeless youth and adults in jobs and housing out of 617 team members. In fact, SSUSA claims a 90% success rate in terms of effecting positive measurable change in our participants' lives when we consider other outcome such as addressing mental health / substance abuse issues, reducing recidivism in jails, etc. Likewise over 90% of participants show indications of improved self esteem, physical health, and social skills, all of which create a greater likelihood of reintegration and employment.

About SSVCF: 
Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SSVCF) was formed in 2007 as a 501c(3) non-profit charitable arm of Soccer Silicon Valley, which is the voice of San Jose Earthquakes fans working to find a permanent home for soccer in the Bay Area. SSVCF is the only all-volunteer, fan-based philanthrophy in American professional sports. Comprised entirely of Earthquakes fans, the mission of SSVCF is to ensure on an ongoing, sustainable basis the vitality and availability to all of the sport of soccer in the Bay Area.

Save the date. On October 19, 2011, SSVCF will be holding its fourth annual event at San Jose City Hall. As always, this will be an opportunity to socialize with Earthquakes players past and present while supporting SSVCF's charitable efforts in "building community through soccer." For more information, contact SSVCF president Don Gagliardi at 408-836-9850.

Harvey Dent, DJ E-Nygma, Rocka headline Saturday Music at SSUSA Cup 2011

Come on out to Kastles Stadium on Saturday to watch some street soccer matches and hear some great music. Saturday features

DJ Harvey Dent
After the passing of his maternal grandmother when he was a child, DJ Harvey Dent retrieved a clock radio from the boxes of
belongings that had to be moved. From that point on, his love of music grew as he listened to various radio stations in the
Baltimore/DC area. Harvey started to collect music on his own though living in a mostly music-less home. His love of music was
unlike his parents, especially his mother who described his purchases of music as a "waste." This did not discourage him, as he
went on to use his love and collection of music into the focus of becoming a DJ. To date DJ Harvey Dent has performed at many
venues in the Baltimore/DC area and has opened for many artists such as The Pharcyde, Styles P, Camp Lo, Dionne Farris, Fertile
Ground, Oddisee, Hezekiah, Juggaknots, and Ursula Rucker. His podcast/mixtape series, High Yellow Soul, is a perfect blend of his
first love, Hip-Hop fused with soulful R&B/Neo-Soul.

DJ E-Nygma (Raj Stewart)
A fan first, DJ E-Nygma (Raj Stewart) has been immersed in music for as long as he can remember. From a childhood spent listening to gospel, classical, soul, jazz, and R&B records with his parents, to branching out to reggae, hip-hop, house, and more as a teen and adult, music has been a constant. Vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and now digital music all share a special place in his heart. After spending years learning by watching DJs on local radio and clubs, he transitioned to doing small parties, then his own collegiate radio show. Since then, it's been a continuous process of learning and growing with music.

From club residencies to corporate events to concerts, E-Nygma has been fortunate to have a wealth of opportunities afforded to him by music. In turn, he has been able to give something back, in the form of music-related projects with youth organizations, charity events, and community service programs in Baltimore and Boston.

When he's not playing records, you can usually find him scouring flea markets and used vinyl shops, or at his day job, studying how the brain enables reading and language processing (seriously)... of course, his day job also comes equipped with a playlist.

About Rocka:
Rocka was born in the Island of Trinidad and Tobago, origins of Steel Pan and Calypso music.
He moved to America to pursue his dreams and a better life.
He considers his style of music RockaLypso- a fusion of Pop, Reggae and Soca, which is based on his varied musical influences.
Rocka has performed at the Apollo Theater in New York, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Florida.
His originality in vocal style, songwriting ability and guitar playing skill has won him awards in local and national competitions.
His latest release 'Luv Bunny' is available for download on iTunes.

SSUSA: Important Links for June 2011

Street Soccer USA is gearing up for a big month of June. To start off, the Sports for Social Change Awards on June 1 at the French Embassy will honor the NFL, Mark Ein of the Washington Kastles, and Lisa Wrightsman, SSUSA program graduate from Sacramento.

Following the Awards on June 10-12, the Street Soccer USA Cup will kickoff in DC for the 4th year in a row at the Kastles Stadium on the Wharf. In addition to the 20 SSUSA program teams competing, there will be youth, men's, coed and corporate divisions at the Cup. This is a FREE event to attend!

Follow the link below to get involved with us. Thanks for your support!

Sports for Social Change Awards Invite/Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=207702615929267&ref=ts

Sports for Social Change Awards Tickets:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1196064461

US Cup General Information:
http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/US_cup/SSUSA_Cup_2011

US Cup Facebook Page: see team profiles, up-to-date additions to the event, spread the news to your friends!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223084084374890

Sign up your Youth, Men's, Coed, or Business Team:
http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/register/2011-national-open-cup

Volunteer at the Cup: Balls Boy/Girls, Serve a Meal, Organize a Group to Cheer! and More..
http://www.eyouthsportsusa.com/cgi-win/t7list.exe?mV

SSUSA Fan Club Launch Events

Please join SSUSA as we launch fan clubs in New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles!

Click the links below for more specific information on each event:

NYC:
http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/view/en/teams/new_york/SSNYC_FanClub_Launch

DC:
http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/view/en/teams/washington_DC/SSDC_FanClub_Launch

LA:
http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/sslasupporters

THANK YOU For Your Continued Support Of Street Soccer USA!

Bay Area Fan Club Launch Recap!

Street Soccer Bay Area launched its Fan Club, Golden Gate FC on March 3rd at Sip Bar in San Francisco. 110 guests came out to kick off the club and to help the program adopt its new I PLAY FOR logo for the year. Street Soccer Bay Area will sport the "Change" crest in 2011. All of the SSUSA teams around the country are playing for more than just scoring goals and winning games and our fan club will be there to support them as they change their life for the better. Check out the other crests at www.iplayfor.org and see the Street Soccer USA homepage for which cities are adopting which crests.

Thanks to our sponsors of the event- Sip Bar, Don Q Rum, University of San Francisco Sport Management, El Porteno and Divine Chocolate! Please check out our Facebook page for more events and volunteer opportunities in the Bay Area. Link above for more photos!!

SSNYC Continues League Play

After falling last week 7-5 in a spirited game, Street Soccer New York City looks to rebound this Friday night. The game will take place at Chelsea Piers at 9pm vs Inter NY. Every game SSNYC has shown that they are not only improving their soccer skills but showing true fair play throughout. Last week 12 players from SSNYC came to play at the game, including 6 who are no longer living in the shelter. It has been a great transitional season for many of our players and we ask that you come out and continue supporting us as we achieve our goals on and off of the field!

Home: Inter NY
Away: Street Soccer USA
Date: 2/18/2011
Time: 9:00 PM
Day of Week: Fri

Street Soccer Bay Area Fan Club Kickoff!

Street Soccer USA supporters can join in to end homelessness on March 3rd in San Francisco at the Street Soccer Bay Area Fan Club Launch Party.

Email rob@streetsoccerusa.org for questions or visit www.streetsoccerusa.org/bayareafans to get your ticket to the event.




Street Soccer USA - Bay Area Fan Club Launch

Where: Sip Bar

787 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 699-6545

When: March 3, 2011
Time: 6-9

get your tickets: www.streetsoccerusa.org/bayareafans

Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192420130785436&ref=ts

About:

Video Link: NBC Nightly News: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38581006#38584806
Bay Area Program: http://kalwnews.org/audio/2010/07/29/soccer-social-change_497219.html
Street Soccer USA
“Ending Homelessness and Poverty is a Team Sport”

Street Soccer USA Bay Area is run in partnership with the St. Vincent de Paul Society Homeless Shelter. The team practices weekly and plays in local amateur adult soccer leagues in the city. Each year the SSUSA teams from across the country compete in the Street Soccer USA Cup and have a chance to make the SSUSA National Team and compete in the annual Homeless World Cup of soccer.

SS Dallas Holds First Practice

The Street Soccer Dallas team had a wonderful first practice. The players had very little (if any) soccer experience which, according to their coach Matt Valentine, will allow them to see greater progress and thus a more rewarding experience. The enthusiasm and willingness/desire to learn was infectious. In the locker room the coaches overheard the players saying that they really needed this - something fun to do. One of the players told one of the coaches that it was the most fun he had had in years.

This is just the start to another great Street Soccer USA program…. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!

SS Dallas after a great first practice

Queens University of Charlotte - Men's soccer volunteers to help the homeless

Queens University of Charlotte - Men's soccer volunteers to help the homeless

Street Soccer NYC Game

Street Soccer New York City continues its league play this Friday night at Chelsea Piers, located at 23rd Street and the Hudson River. The team has had a very competitive season so far, falling last game 10-9. Please come out and support the team this Friday.

Home: DCF United
Away: Street Soccer USA

Date: 2/11/2011
Time: 9:00 PM

First lady michele obama speaks to us at the national mentoring summit. ' more kids are growing up outside tight knit neighborhoods, more in single parent homes . . . Mentoring is more need than ever before . . . Kids need a friends and someone they

Library of congress national mentoring summit

Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless

Lawrence Cann
Fundraising Division Director
5 Hanover Square, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004
Office: 212-400-7044 Fax: 212-400-7005 Mobile: 646-385-1714

SSNYC shows pride in opener

Above, ssnyc's marcus shakes the referees hand as teammate julio prepares for the opening kick. It was a fresh set of faces for this year's ssnyc team at their first match in the chelsea piers 5 a side league. Most players had trained all fall without an external competition so it was a special day and the group was nervous. I wanted them to do well so badly I too had sweet palms.

13 players attended including several a whorecently moved out. For marcus, luke, joe, tk, charles, and angelo this meant an several ours on the subway and bus system for a few minutes on the pitch.

The 11-1 score against our favor does not portray the hustle, teamwork, st at times expressive and stylish combination play. Congrats to all. More anecdotes from the evening to come . . .

Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless

Lawrence Cann
Fundraising Division Director
5 Hanover Square, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004
Office: 212-400-7044 Fax: 212-400-7005 Mobile: 646-385-1714