Team Hope: Football for the homeless

It's called Team Hope and what it aims to do is to "give displaced people in Singapore a football team to call their own, draw them out of their isolation, encourage discipline, help them regain a sense of self-worth and ultimately give them a better chance at getting back on their feet again."

The Online Citizen carried the information from New Hope Community Services, the organizers of the team, who modeled it after the Homeless World Cup -- an annual competition where homeless people have a chance to represent their country in an international arena.

To us, it's a worthy cause for support, targeting not just homeless men, but also displaced families who were affected by the economic downturn, especially for young children who might not be able to understand their situation.

To give it some professional structure, Team Hope will run programs for both adults and children by football academy Football Passion. Besides these training sessions, Team Hope members will also be taught life skills and have access to counseling sessions, as well as support in their efforts to find regular jobs.

"The ultimate aim is to make homelessness a thing of the past for our participants. We want to give them tools that will help them help themselves," says Pastor Andrew Khoo, founder of New Hope Community Services.

Team Hope's official launch kicks off on October 18, 9am, at Woodlands Stadium. Drop by as a show of support or join their Facebook group.

getting there

Official launch of Team Hope
Woodlands Sports Stadium
1 Woodlands Street 13, Singapore
October 18, 9.00am to 11.00am
www.newhopecs.org.sg