[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1641]]



A TRIBUTE TO JOVENES, INC. AND ITS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STREET SOCCER 
                                  TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2008

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize four 
highly motivated and talented street soccer players and their coach who 
traveled from Los Angeles to our nation's capital this summer to 
compete in the Homeless USA Cup. This was the first time a team from 
Los Angeles joined the street soccer tournament, which this year 
included homeless and formerly homeless youth from 11 cities throughout 
the country.
  I am especially proud of the fact that this talented and resilient 
team was sponsored by Jovenes, Inc., an exemplary community 
organization that provides needed services to homeless and low-income 
Latinos in my 34th Congressional District.
  Jovenes, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Reverend Richard Estrada, 
Associate Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in 
Downtown, Los Angeles. Initially, Father Estrada created Jovenes, 
Inc.--which means youth in Spanish--to address the dire needs of 
homeless immigrant youth in Los Angeles.
  Today, while Jovenes, Inc. remains committed to assisting the 
immigrant Latino community, the non-profit organization has expanded 
its reach. Jovenes, Inc. assists at-risk young people ages 16 to 24, 
foster youth, homeless individuals of all ages, and low-income 
families. Each year, an estimated 1,500 youth benefit from Jovenes, 
Inc.'s services, which include emergency and transitional housing, arts 
programs, mental health services, health education, employment 
preparation, financial literacy classes for families, after-school 
programs, GED preparation and computer courses.
  Madam Speaker, I have had the pleasure of working with Father Estrada 
and Jovenes, Inc. on several occasions. He is an uplifting and positive 
force throughout the community and I thank him for his advocacy and 
tireless work to improve the lives of young people and families in my 
district and elsewhere in Los Angeles County.
  Clearly, the notable success of our four street soccer players--
Johny, Densi, Carlos and Peter--who competed in the Homeless USA Cup in 
June have the dedicated staff of Jovenes, Inc., especially Executive 
Director Ernesto Montano, and Director of Programs/Team Coach Andrea 
Marchetti, to thank for working to make such memorable and empowering 
opportunities available to them.
  While our star street soccer players from Los Angeles lost in their 
final round against a Minnesota team at the U.S. Homeless Cup, their 
unstoppable performance in the qualifying round got them noticed. They 
were all selected for spots on the national team. Three of the players 
will travel to Australia in December to represent the United States in 
the Homeless World Cup. The fourth player will serve as an alternate. 
In addition, all four athletes have been invited to come back to next 
year's Homeless USA Cup to motivate and serve as examples for new teams 
and players. In between competitions, the Jovenes, Inc. players 
continue to work to turn their lives around by resuming their 
education, furthering their careers, and chasing their goals to live 
independently in a stable and safe environment.
  The organization's newsletter poignantly sums up the impact of the 
street-soccer tournaments in helping to inspire and motivate these 
soccer players. ``For our youth this is the country that is giving them 
an opportunity for a successful life, and they will do their best to 
make everybody proud of them, on and off the pitch! . . . Through 
soccer, homeless individuals have a way to find the motivation, energy 
and discipline to solve their daily struggles and feel appreciated and 
respected. Jovenes, Inc. will continue this experience in the future to 
motivate our youth to succeed through sports in their life.''
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in recognizing 
the significant work of Father Estrada and Jovenes, Inc. in bettering 
the lives of young people and Latino families in the community. I also 
congratulate Johny, Densi, Carlos and Peter for their exceptional 
street-soccer abilities. They are truly an inspiration, on and off the 
soccer field. After all, as they have shown, with the right support and 
a lot of hard work, anything is possible.

                          ____________________