There are more than 500,000 children in the foster care system across the United States and over 100,000 of them will never be reunited with their biological families. Many foster care youth find themselves plagued with issues of abandonment, mental, emotional and physical disabilities, low self-esteem, and poor academic performance, to name a few. Then there are those who age out of foster care without the necessary tools for survival who are then confronted with issues of substance abuse, higher levels of unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, homelessness, and engagement in criminal activity that often lead to incarceration, etc.

MISSION

Athletes for Charity is a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York. Our mission is to serve as a charitable initiative dedicated towards encouraging the giving of time, financial resources, and information to improve the collective lives of disadvantaged youth, advance the common good and support the nonprofit sectors that benefit foster care youth.
Athletes for Charity achieves its mission by teaming up with professional athletes, sports leagues and teams, various sports professionals, foster care agencies and related organizations, as well as volunteers and mentors, to empower and support the development of underprivileged youth. Athletes for Charity is a volunteer based organization that relies on its most valuable resource, volunteers, to benefit underprivileged youth.

Athletes for Charity's objectives as they relate to foster care, include but are not limited to the following:

• Providing foster care teens with the necessary life skills and tools that they require to achieve successful and self sufficient lives leading into adulthood.
• Assisting with the recruitment of foster and adoptive parents, volunteers and mentors.
• Joining forces with various professionals, communities, and agencies to address issues confronted by foster care youth.
• Providing support to foster care agencies and related professionals in their efforts to better the collective lives of youth in foster care and those who age out of the system.
• Supporting select organizations that benefit underprivileged youth with preference to those which focus on helping foster care youth achieve their fullest potential.

Additional objectives include:

• Supporting the philanthropic initiatives of professional athletes who aim to benefit their communities while teaming up with the sports industry to present unique opportunities for underprivileged youth.
• Collaborating with select middle and high schools to expose youth to the sports profession, interact with various sports professionals and promote physical fitness.
• Raising awareness about the environment through Athletes for Charity’s GO Green! initiatives.

Athletes for Charity's work range from the planning and implementation of football camps for youth; holiday toy drives for underprivileged children; assisting with the establishment of athlete foundations and charitable projects; sponsoring youth groups to attend sporting events; coordinating athlete appearances; and planning special events which include youth and athlete participation i.e. "Bowl with an Athlete" and "Back to School / Sports Day" events.

• Academy of Business & Community Development
  
• Another Choice for Black Children, Inc.
  
• Bay Springs, Inc.
  
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City
  
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark
  
• Business of Sports School
  
• Catholic Big Sisters & Big Brothers
  
• The Children’s Home, Inc.
  
• The City of New York Police Department Explorers Program (103rd Precinct)
  
• Covenant House
  
• Forestdale, Inc.
  
• Hale House Center, Inc. & Mother Hale Learning Center
  
• High School of Sports Management
  
• Incarnation Children’s Center
  
• Inwood House
  
• Little Flower Children & Family Services of New York
  
• Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
  
• Lutheran Social Services of New York
  
• Oklahoma Department of Human Services
  
• P.S. 86
  
• Salvation Army Group Home Programs
  
• SCO Family of Services
  
• You Gotta Believe!
  
• W.E.B. Du Bois Society
  
• WorldofMoney.org
  

SUPPORTERS

Athletes for Charity would like to acknowledge the following supporters for their continued commitment towards our efforts to serve underprivileged youth:

• Abram Elam (NFL)
  
• Antonio Pierce (NFL)
  
• Atlanta Falcons
  
• Baby Phat
  
• Barclays/Nets Community Alliance
  
• Captain Planet Foundation
  
• Carlos Emmons (NFL - Retired)
  
• Curtis DeLoatch (NFL)
  
• Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation
  
• Dhani Jones (NFL)
  
• Epsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
• ESPN
• House of Deréon
  
• Joe Frazier (Boxing)
  
• Kansas City Chiefs
  
• Kareem McKenzie (NFL)
  
• Lance Legree (NFL – Retired)
  
• Leap Frog
  
• MasterCard Worldwide
  
• Michael Jennings (Former NFL)
  
• Michael Strahan (NFL – Retired)
  
• NASCAR
  
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
  
• National Basketball Association Development League (NBADL)
  
• National Football League (NFL)
  
• New Era Cap Co.
  
• New York Football Giants
  
• New York Jets
  
• New York Knicks
  
• New York Liberty
  
• New York Mets
  
• New York Nemesis
  
• New York Rangers
  
• New York Yankees
  
• Nike, Inc.
  
• Oklahoma City Thunders
  
• Osi Umenyiora (NFL)
  
• Ovie Mughelli (NFL)
  
• Queens Alumni Foundation of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
  
• Quentin Richardson (NBA)
  
• Red Bull New York
  
• Reggie Torbor (NFL)
  
• Rocawear
  
• Ryan Sims (NFL)
  
• Seth Stammler (MLS)
  
• SONY BMG
  
• Smush Parker (Former NBA)
  
• Sporting Chance Foundation
  
• Staples, Inc.
  
• Takeo Spikes (NFL)
  
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  
• Tony Hawk Foundation
  
• Vince Carter (NBA)
  
• Vitamin Water
  
• Volunteers of America
  
• Willie Ponder (Former NFL)
  
• WNBA Cares
  
• Women’s Sports Foundation
  
• World Boxing Council & World Boxing Cares
  
• Zomba Records

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT PROGRAMS (CDP)

Athletes for Charity is a project of Congressional District Programs, Inc. (CDP) - a registered 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1) public charity (Tax ID # 65-0970090).  For CDP Policies & Procedures please visit:

• Privacy Policy
  
• State Fundraising and Solicitation Guidelines
  
• Non-Discrimination Policy

All moneys raised by the Athletes for Charity are received by Congressional District Programs and become the sole property of CDP which, for internal operating purposes, allocates the funds to the Project. The Program Manager makes recommendations for disbursements which are reviewed by CDP for approval.

FOR MORE INFO

Contact:

Cathleen C. Laporte
President
Athletes for Charity
125-28 Queens Blvd - Suite 502
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Email: info@athletesforcharity.com