We hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving. And Black Friday. And, today, Cyber Monday.
Tomorrow is our turn -- along with thousands, maybe even millions, of nonprofits worldwide.
Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday is THE DAY to make a real impact with a simple gift. Whatever nonprofit(s) you support, you'll change lives, help create change, and feel the power of giving.
It's similar, really, to what DC SCORES does. We build teams at schools in underserved communities for kids who would otherwise be left on the sideline. We empower kids to become leaders, to recognize the power of teamwork, and to discover what their commitment can lead to in a safe and supportive environment.
Kennijah, Anna Lucia and Nana are three examples of how powerful providing a soccer uniform and a poetry journal -- the material essentials for a DC SCORES child -- is through our program.
$28 tomorrow = a soccer uniform and poetry journal for a kid currently on the sideline
Please give HERE and share your gift on our Facebook event page or on Twitter.
But first, we hope you're inspired by these three stories
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KENNIJAH
"Before DC SCORES, Kennijah was extremely meek. He didn't know how to find himself. He was having an identity crisis." – Kennijah’s Mother
Kennijah participated in sports, but he didn't find an activity that he truly loved and that kept his attention -- and improved his academics -- until he began writing poetry twice a week at Arts and Technology Academy.
A majority of DC SCORES participants join our program because of the soccer element, knowing little, if anything, about poetry. For many of them, there's an initial shock and frustration when they learn they can't play soccer without coming to poetry sessions, too.
But for many kids, like Kennijah, they learn the power of expressing themselves and getting out their innermost feelings through poetry.
"But when he got into DC SCORES it was like BAM, wow, this is what it is. This is it. This is what I love. – Kennijah’s Mother
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ANNA LUCIA
"It provided her a sense of community and belonging and fun that as a parent you can't always provide your kid." -- Anna Lucia’s Mother
When Anna Lucia moved to Washington, DC, with her mother and enrolled at Bancroft Elementary School, she had no friends, she didn't have a sense of belonging, she felt out of place.
Then she joined DC SCORES.
Anna Lucia was welcomed by her peers and the Bancroft coaches. She was supported on the soccer field and in the classroom. She was accepted.
It didn't take long for Anna Lucia to transform from a shy kid into one of the team's most vocal leaders, her voice always heard and respected by her peers.
"Anna was a totally shy kid in third grade. Now in fifth grade she is totally social and opened up completely." -- Coach John Guzman
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NANA
"When Nana arrived at Brightwood, he was a very troubled kid, very anxious, very angry. He could not articulate what was going on with him." -- Brightwood Education Campus Principal Wanda Fox
Nana, who immigrated from Ghana, was a troublemaker when he arrived at Brightwood Education Campus, a hard-headed kid who got into trouble often. He didn't know how to express his frustrations and had no structure in his life.
But he was very good at soccer.
DC SCORES provided him with an outlet, an opportunity to safely express himself and play the sport he loved.
After graduating from Brightwood, Nana enrolled at Wilson High School and played varsity soccer. He realized he wouldn't have reached that level without DC SCORES, and so he began volunteering at summer camp to help mentor kids like him in need of direction.
Nana is now a freshman college soccer player at Johnson State University. Read Nana's full story HERE.
"If I didn't have DC SCORES, it wouldn't be the same. I feel like DC SCORES is a part of my family." -- Nana
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We hope you'll empower DC youth on Giving Tuesday and spread the word to other, too. Thanks so much for your support!
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