Burlington, Vt. – Vermont Green Football Club announced its pilot program with King Street Center today, which aims to make matches more accessible and inviting to historically marginalized communities. The program is focused on building community ties between Vermont Green Football Club players and King Street Center youth and families. Players will join King Street Center youth each week to engage in soccer activities and discuss their path toward playing soccer at the highest levels. Vermont Green will host King Street Center youth at weekly practices and donate free tickets through its “Spread the Love” initiative so they can attend home games throughout the season. Players, staff, and youth will also spend time focusing on how soccer can be a powerful catalyst for a more environmentally sustainable and socially just world.
King Street Center is a Burlington-based non-profit that provides year-round care, meals, academic support, and enrichment for children ages 18 months to 18 years old. The organization was born out of a lack of educational and recreational services for kids in the King Street neighborhood in 1971 by a few dedicated parents, a group of volunteers from the University of Vermont, and a budget of $90. Since then, King Street Center has grown over the last 51 years to provide community-based support for 120+ children and their families through its Toddler & Preschool Early Education programs, K-5 Afterschool program, Teens program, and Mentor program.
The King Street neighborhood has become one of the most diverse communities in Vermont and is home to much of Burlington’s immigrant and refugee population. Today, over 80% of the children and youth King Street Center serves are from New American families, primarily from Somalia, Bhutan, Nepal, Congo, and other countries across the globe. Because of the wide age range of its programs, King Street Center often serves multiple siblings, allowing the organization to build deep, long-lasting relationships with families in Burlington.
Vermont Green Football Club will work with King Street Center this season to engage youth in enriching activities centered around soccer. The Club is host to a diverse roster of players from Vermont, around the country, and the world. Vermont Green players have unique stories and experiences that highlight values and characteristics essential for personal growth, professional success, and civic engagement, including fair play, cooperation, and empathy for and acceptance of others. These values are also at the center of the Club’s mission to normalize environmental justice in soccer and in its home state.
“We are thrilled to build this unique and powerful partnership with the Vermont Green Football Club.”, says Gabriella Tufo Strouse, King Street Center’s Community Outreach Director. “It is essential that our kids see a reflection of themselves in the adults they interact with. This opportunity provides just that in addition to an entirely new experience not just for our kids, but for our city and state.”
The program will run from May 23 until the final match on July 17, where Vermont Green FC will host a halftime celebration honoring the efforts of players and youth in building supportive relationships aimed at personal and professional development, and civic engagement.
“King Street Center is an important pillar in our community, supporting underrepresented Vermonters and making Burlington a more inclusive and vibrant place to live. We want to learn from their experience and expertise in community-building in an effort to make our club an accessible and inviting place for all Vermonters, especially youth. We are also really excited to have the opportunity to give our players, many of whom are new to Vermont, a chance to get to know our community better. I couldn’t think of a better partner in that effort than King Street Center,” said Keil Corey, Vermont Green FC Co-founder.
The Vermont Green FC “Spread the Love” season ticket allows supporters who have the financial means, but perhaps not the time to attend every home game, a way to support the club and the local community. This Spread the Love ticket provides a supporter two tickets (bring a friend!) for a home game of their choice, and the club will donate seven single match tickets to an organization serving youth in Vermont. Purchasing this ticket is an acknowledgment that financial constraints are nothing to be ashamed of or blamed for. Instead, our club acknowledges social inequities affect socio-economics. And because these inequities exist, we are committed to finding solutions to address them. Everyone deserves a welcome spot in the Vermont Green FC community. For more information, visit www.vermontgreenfc.com/season-tickets, or email club@vermontgreenfc.com.
King Street Center
King Street Center is a 501c3 nonprofit agency whose mission is to create a place where kids meet opportunities through learning, play, and community. Located in downtown Burlington, Vermont, King Street Center serves 120+ children as young as 18 months to 18 years old through year-round, full-day 5-STAR Early Education Toddler and Preschool programs, K-5 Afterschool program, Teen program, and Mentoring program. For more information, visit www.kingstreetcenter.org.