"Athletes for Charity"
Athletes for Charity supports the philanthropic and community volunteer efforts of professional athletes by offering comprehensive support services to facilitate the implementation of any project with a charitable focus, and we do this free of charge. Our services include: (1) Philanthropic Consulting & Advising for Athletes: Foundations, Tax Exemption, Charitable Giving; (2) Fundraising; (3) Program Development; (4) Community Linkages; (5) Public Relations; (6) Special Event Planning & Implementation i.e. Football, Soccer and Basketball Camps; and (7) Appearances: Meet & Greet and Autograph Sessions.
Back to School / Sports Day
Athletes for Charity hosts an annual "Back to School / Sports" day to benefit over 100 foster care youth, between the ages of 5 - 18 years old, by providing them with book bags filled with essential tools for the start of a successful school year. Professional athletes are invited to join us for the event each year. They help distribute school supplies, sign autographs and share words of encouragement to the youth. The event is free of charge and includes lunch and a sports related activity. The event locations change every year and have included venues such as Harlem Lanes (Bowling), Chelsea Piers (Soccer, Football, Baseball - Batting Cages and Rock Climbing) and the Sports Museum of America. Donations of back to school supplies are collected throughout the weeks leading up to the event.
Change a Life Program
Athletes for Charity aims to the gage the community at large to get involved as foster and adoptive parents, volunteers, mentors, etc.
Athletes for Charity recruits professionals from the fields of sports, fashion and music and others, to participate in educational workshops for the youth as well as day to day mentoring opportunities. We assess the interests of each individual youth and try to match them up with professionals from the sector they have expressed an interest i.e. a youth who aspires to become a professional boxer is matched with trainers or professional boxing athletes, or a young lady who expresses an interest in fashion is afforded the opportunity to visit a showroom of a fashion brand or house to meet with staff members.
High School of Sports Management Internship and Mentoring Program
In 2008, Athletes for Charity implemented an Internship and Mentoring Program with the High School of Sports Management (HSSM) located in Brooklyn, NY. The objective of the Program is to expose the students at HSSM to various genres of sports and careers in sports by creating opportunities for them to attend sporting events and meet with sports professionals through a series of events.
HSSM Students are also matched with sports professionals in their fields of interest i.e. a student who expresses a passion for basketball would be matched with volunteer from National Basketball Association or a staff member from the New York Knicks front office.
In October 2008, Athletes for Charity was instrumental in coordinating HSSM's first Sports Symposium which featured a panelist of sports professionals who addressed a group of 50 students on the topic of "Careers in Sports."
Holiday Initiatives
Each year Athletes for Charity launches a Holiday Toy & Gift Card Drive to collect product and gift cards to distribute to foster care youth at various holiday parties. When possible we also align professional athletes to join us in the distribution of the holiday gift items to the youth. To date, our holiday initiatives have benefited over 1000 foster care and other underprivileged youth across the United States.
Self Esteem and Educational Workshop Series
Woman to Woman / Man to Man Workshops and Educational Development Workshops
Athletes for Charity plan and coordinates self-esteem and educational development workshops for foster care teens since 2005. Workshops address topics such as Career Exploration & Development; Self Esteem; Role Models; Youth Legal Rights; Gang Violence; Teen Pregnancy, Abstinence, Sex, and STDs; Communication Skills; Financial Literacy; etc. The workshops are aimed at providing teens with life and career development skills that will enable them to achieve self sufficiency as they approach adulthood.
Athletes for Charity is also committed to raising awareness about environmental issues being faced by the communities from which the youth that we serve reside. Often urban or inner city communities are confronted with issues related to employment, housing, nutrition and are less focused on the importance of also focusing on the environment. We aim to raise enough awareness within such communities to to stimulate a greater understanding of environmental issues worldwide.
Workshops are currently being implemented in New York City and Chicago.
Sponsoring Youth to Sporting Events
Athletes for Charity collaborates with various sports teams to provide complimentary tickets to sporting events to foster care and other underprivileged youth. This affords inner city youth opportunities to attend some of their favorite sports team games and also expose youth to other sports that they might not otherwise have been familiar. For instance, each year Athletes for Charity participates in the Red Bull New York's Kicks for Kids program providing hundreds of youth with an exciting and memorable experience at a Major League Soccer game.
Sports Networking 101 / Sports for Charity
On occasion, Athletes for Charity will host special events entitled "Sports Networking 101" or "Sports for Charity" to help promote the mission of the organization, solicit volunteers, and raise funds for upcoming community projects to benefit foster care youth. The events also afford our attendees and opportunity to network with sports professionals and feature a professional athlete's foundation or charitable works.
