Hello!

Certainly you have heard me talk about South Bronx United (SBU) over the past ten years. It is a nonprofit youth development organization with a mission of using soccer as a tool for social change. More than 1,300 young people, beginning at age four and all the way through college, participate in programs this year on the soccer field, in the classroom, and in the community.

Founded in 2009 to address a lack in youth athletic programs in the South Bronx, the organization's programs have grown to combine soccer with academic enrichment, college prep, mentoring, leadership development, health and wellness programs, immigration legal services, and other family and youth supports. The SBU Academy has a 100% high school graduation rate and 94% college matriculation rate. College-readiness rates of graduates are three-times the rate of their peers.

As the South Bronx has disproportionately been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, SBU has continued to adapt programs and services to reach more young people and their families in new ways. In 2021, SBU strived toward providing college access programs to 150 additional teens through the Global Youth League, creating a more level playing field by recruiting and retaining more girls across SBU's programs, and creating a home-away-from home for young people to reconnect with their peers, coaches, and staff after a tumultuous year.

This organization and the community it serves are very dear to me, and I appreciate support in all amounts. Together we can make a difference!