Daily Planet: Helping the Homeless Reach Goals

They are the faceless individuals you don't see standing on the corner when you've stopped at a traffic light. They don't want to work. They are shiftless and lazy. They are to be avoided. They are to be mistrusted. They are to be arrested for trespassing, for panhandling, for bizarre behavior. They are dirty and dangerous. They have no value. They are the homeless.

Sadly, this is the opinion of most Richmond residents. The reality is that being homeless is a lonely and scary experience -- ask anyone who has faced the frightening reality of being one paycheck, one sickness, one accident away from losing one of life's most basic needs: shelter. Our American ideals of self-sufficiency inaccurately conclude that the homeless are the cause of their own troubles, and that to aid them is to abet them. Working in a homeless shelter, I can tell you that each and every man, woman, and child, regardless of the circumstances, has value in our society. The challenge is to create environments that foster personal growth and social inclusion for the homeless, instead of ignoring them and viewing them as a malignancy.

The road out of disenfranchisement is not an easy path to navigate. The homeless have no concrete community or family to rely on, and without that assistance they often become overwhelmed by obstacles that would seem routine to most. Who and what resources are available? What kind of support systems are in place for those who find themselves faced with a situation they never thought they would experience? Where does one even start?

With the current state of the economy, more and more individuals are losing their careers, jobs, homes, health care -- and facing the possibility of homelessness. The humiliation, the fear, the confusion are not any different for the "recession-homeless" than those who have become homeless during more prosperous times because of health or mental health issues, job loss, domestic violence situations, substance abuse, or any of a number of other hardships and complexities that come with life.

The Daily Planet embraces innovative ways to motivate homeless clients out of their disenfranchisement by re-developing the social inclusion and community they have lost. This can be as simple as providing an outlet for people to come together in a social setting and giving them a goal to aim for. This month, Daily Planet will be forming its second annual USA Street Soccer team. Lawrence Cann, a native Richmonder and St. Christopher's alumnus, founded Street Soccer USA just four years ago in Charlotte, N.C. With assistance from Help USA and partnerships with homeless shelters throughout the country, USA Street Soccer has spread to 16 cities and has been using the game of soccer to motivate homeless persons out of poverty and into stable lifestyles.

Last year, having heard about the successful program Cann created in Charlotte, I contacted him to determine if a nascent program would work for our community. Cann brought some of his star players to Richmond, as well as the Russian coach who led the winning street soccer team to victory at the Australian world cup (yes, there is a homeless Soccer World Cup with 56 participating countries), to help with our first recruitment clinic in May of 2008. Another local Richmonder and former professional soccer player, Rob Ukrop, came out to support the Daily Planet efforts by leading novice players in soccer drills.

When an article appeared in the paper about the soccer clinic, there was an outpouring of community support from groups that wanted to get involved. Volunteers offered to coach the team. GearMax, an area sports bag manufacturer, donated soccer backpacks for the players. A youth soccer team volunteered to provide food and drinks after practices. Last year we sent a team of four local homeless players to the USA World Cup tryouts in Washington, D.C. Although none of our players qualified for a trip to the World Cup, they were inspired by the experience.

MANY OF the homeless individuals who come out to practices have not played sports in years, even decades, but when they step onto the field they say it's because they're seeking the camaraderie of a once-remembered team experience. Most of those who came out had never played soccer before but wanted to be a part of the scene. A few come for the carrots -- the incentives -- a snack and a pair of donated sports shoes. For whatever the reasons they show up, the organizers are there to give support, guidance, help, and hope. In the end the ones who stay become part of a team, and that makes it more than a couple of homeless people running around in a field.

The Daily Planet is now encouraging local homeless individuals to participate in our soccer team. According to Street Soccer USA, nearly 100 percent of participants find a new motivation for life, 77 percent improve their housing situation, more than one-third attain or improve their level of employment, and another third pursue further education.

That's the game plan. That's the motivation for the Daily Planet to organize such innovative programs as a street soccer team. We aim to inspire and energize sports -- and to demonstrate that everyone is worthy of encouragement and support regardless of their circumstances.

Maureen Neal is the director of development and external affairs at the Daily Planet. Contact her at , or find out more at http://www.dailyplanetva.org.