PEACE IS THE GOAL
Submitted by peaceisthegoal10 on Wed, 04/11/2007 - 12:19.
Last updated on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 18:28.
Vital Stats
ongoing project
10/01/2006
People Impacted:
7000People Involved: 1
Money Raised: $500 (Do Something grant)
Project Photos
Project Video
See It
My name is Mitchell and I’m a 16-year-old student/soccer player from Wisconsin. I started Peace Is The Goal as a goodwill initiative in October 2006 when I was 13 years old. This ongoing initiative aims to make the world a better place to live in by spreading the message of peace and giving through “the world’s game”, soccer.
Many kids in the world have little, if anything. They are desperately looking for something positive to do. They love the sport of soccer, but many don’t even have real equipment to play the game. Rocks, plastic bottles or garbage are often used as balls.
Believe It
It began with a car drive from Milwaukee to Fort Atkinson. During that trip, I detailed to my dad my desire to make a difference in the world.
I developed the concept for Peace Is The Goal, as well as its name. I followed that up by earning the initial seed money for my initiative. I made money by refereeing several soccer games each weekend and providing babysitting services at night. I set up meetings with local sporting goods distributors and brokered deals with them to purchase soccer equipment.
I developed Peace Is The Goal Web sites through great sites such as DoSomething.org. Ever since then, I have found worthy causes and contacted point people at those entities. I pick, pack and ship the equipment and ensure that the supplies make it to their proper destination.
Peace Is The Goal aims to make the world a better place to live by spreading the message of peace and giving through “the world’s game”, soccer. I created Peace Is The Goal to give needy kids soccer equipment (balls, cleats, goalie gloves, shinguards, pumps, storage, uniforms), give them something positive to do, give them hope and give them a smile.
Note: Peace Is The Goal was recently featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. Read the article by clicking on the link: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/34942514.html
Build It
Over the initiative’s first 25 months, I have completed 34 projects which have delivered more than 700 pieces of soccer equipment (worth more than $8,000) to orphanages, schools, missions, churches, agencies and individuals that house, shelter, educate and provide direction to kids. These kids live in dire conditions in countries such as Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Kosovo, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Senegal, Vietnam, Uganda, United States.
Peace Is The Goal projects to date include:
November 2006: Institution Universe school in Ouanaminthe, Haiti
Items donated: 36 soccer balls, 6 large soccer ball storage bags, 6 soccer pumps
February 2007: La Vega Christian School in La Vega, the Dominican Republic
Items donated: 6 soccer balls, 2 large soccer ball storage bags, 2 soccer pumps, 1 youth instruction trainer
March 2007: G.O. Ministries and G.O. Ministries Sports Outreach serving in Santiago, the Dominican Republic; Batey Nueve, the Dominican Republic; and Ouanaminthe, Haiti
Items donated: 10 soccer balls, 2 soccer pumps
April 2007: Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas project in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua
Items donated: 5 soccer balls, 1 soccer pump
April 2007: Maison Fortune Orphanage in Hinche, Haiti
Items donated: 8 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
May 2007: Ball for All project aiding children in Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Items donated: 8 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump, 2 pairs of soccer cleats
June 2007: Soccer for Life project aiding children in Honduras
Items donated: 8 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
July 2007: World Vision project aiding children in Africa
Items donated: 8 soccer balls, 1 soccer pump
July 2007: Project aiding children in Ecuador
Items donated: 10 soccer balls, 2 soccer pumps
August 2007: Institution Univers school in Ouanaminthe, Haiti
Items donated: 8 soccer balls
August 2007: Guadalupe Preparatory School (independent charter school for impoverished and at-risk youth) in Guadalupe, Arizona
Items donated: 14 soccer balls, 1 basketball, 2 playground balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 2 soccer pumps
September 2007: Operation Enduring Hope project aiding children in Afghanistan
Items donated: 10 soccer balls, 1 soccer pump
October 2007: Any Soldier project to aid Iraq children and protect U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq
Items donated: 11 soccer balls, 1 medium soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
October 2007: Any Soldier project to aid Iraq children and protect U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq
Items donated: 11 soccer balls, 1 medium soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
November 2007: Any Soldier project to aid Afghanistan children and protect U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq
Items donated: 12 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
December 2007: Any Soldier project to aid Iraq children and protect U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq
Items donated: 16 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer backpack, 1 soccer pump, 3 pairs of used soccer cleats
January 2008: Rancho San Juan Bosco orphanage in Tecate, Mexico
Items donated: 16 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump, 2 pairs of soccer goalkeeper gloves
February 2008: Jamaica National Children’s Home
Items donated: 8 soccer balls, 1 soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
February 2008: Project aiding orphanage in Vietnam
Items donated: 6 soccer balls, 1 soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
March 2008: Held one-day soccer camp for Yaqui Native American kids in Guadalupe, Arizona
Items donated: 20 soccer ball bags, one soccer ball, one soccer skills DVD, one soccer skills book
April 2008: Oyate Teca project aiding Lakota kids on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Kyle, S.D.
Items donated: 8 soccer balls, 2 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
April 2008: Arab mission project aiding Eugemot orphanage in Ghana, Africa
Items donated: 6 soccer balls, 2 pairs of goalkeeper gloves
May 2008: Any Female Soldier project to help create youth soccer tournament in Serbia
Items donated: 10 soccer balls, 3 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 2 pairs of shinguards, 1 soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer ball pump
June 2008: Any Soldier project to aid Iraq children and protect U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq
Items donated: 11 soccer balls, 2 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
June 2008: Project aiding the Blessed Hope Orphanage and Academy in Uganda
Items donated: 13 soccer balls, 2 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer pump
July 2008: Project aiding Outreached Hands of Romania, located in Calarasi, Romania
Items donated: 20 soccer balls, 4 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 4 soccer field cones, 2 large soccer ball storage bags, 2 soccer pumps, 1 soccer training DVD, 1 soccer training book
August 2008: Held soccer day for students of Haiti’s Institution Univers school visiting Fort Atkinson, Wis.
Items donated: 4 soccer balls, 4 soccer ball backpacks, 13 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 4 soccer ball pumps, 34 pairs of soccer cleats, 4 pairs of shinguards, 30 soccer jerseys, 15 soccer shorts
September 2008: Project to help equip soccer clinics for Latin American youth in Charleston, S.C.
Items donated: 11 soccer balls, 6 soccer ball backpacks, 3 large soccer ball storage bags, 3 pairs of goalkeeper gloves, 2 pairs of soccer cleats, 2 pairs of shinguards
September 2008: Any Soldier project to help equip sports field in Kosovo
Items donated: 5 soccer balls, 1 pair of goalkeeper gloves, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer ball pump
October 2008: Any Airman project to aid youth in the Philippines
Items donated: 15 soccer balls, 4 soccer field cones, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer ball pump
October 2008: America SCORES project to aid kids in Cleveland
Items donated: 6 soccer balls, 1 large soccer ball storage bag, 1 medium-sized soccer ball storage bag, 1 pair of goalkeeper gloves, 1 soccer ball pump, 1 soccer training DVD, 1 soccer training book
October 2008: Project assisting the Naivasha Rescue Shelter for orphans and abused children in Naivasha, Kenya
Items donated: 25 soccer balls, 4 large soccer ball storage bags, 2 soccer ball pumps
October 2008: America SCORES project to aid kids in Dallas
Items donated: 16 soccer balls, 8 field cones, 2 large soccer ball storage bags, 1 medium-sized soccer ball storage bag, 1 soccer ball pump
November 2008: Soccer for Life project aiding children in Honduras
Items donated: 50 soccer jerseys, 35 pairs of soccer shorts, 4 pairs of soccer socks
My initiative and drive have led to some pretty aggressive goals. I am driven to expand his project in 2008 and beyond. I hope that my gifts create a link between youth in American and in other nations, and serve as a model that stresses the importance of doing good works. Anyone, even a kid from a small town in Wisconsin, can create change and foster an environment of understanding.
How Can Others Get Involved?
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/34942514.html
I have worked hard to advance PITG from a good idea to an initiative that is tangibly helping others. If you would like to contribute soccer equipment or funds to this cause, please let me know I am seeking donations of equipment or funds in order to help expand the reach of my foundation. Equipment can be new or gently used soccer balls, soccer cleats, jerseys, goalkeeper gloves or any other soccer items. Contact me (peaceisthegoal10@hotmail.com) to arrange a shipment.
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Mitchell,
I really admire your idea and initiative. After reading about your project I have suggested to our soccer club in upstate New York, that we collect our past year's uniforms (jerseys and shorts) and offer them to your group. Would you be interested? Our club is the Niskayuna Soccer Club www.niskayunasoccerclub.com with over 300 kids playing travel soccer. Each year we are provided with new professional jerseys and shorts that are only used one season. The donation at our club will be voluntary, so I don't know how many we'll end up with, but I wanted to contact you to see what you think. My email address is emelby@nycap.rr.com. Thanks!
Elsa Melby
Thank you to the Niskayuna Soccer Club for shipping me several boxes of soccer jerseys and shorts. These will be sent to help develop soccer programs in various parts of the world.
hay my name is jessica i whould love to help u out if u help my thing out its call teen pergnancy is not cute
I think sports are the oldest and most effective ways to mediate conflicts. This project has a lot of potential.
Awesome idea! I love the idea of people gathering around soccer, which rocks! Keep up the good work. I love what you're doing!
Sweet, I say we should team up!