Ashley's All-Star Team

I’m supporting Capital Community Athletics this Big Day of Giving because I believe every child deserves to feel like they belong. CCA has personally changed my life. Before joining staff in March 2024, all I knew of the refugee community was crazy kids running around the apartment complexes near our church and once being invited in by an Afghan mom to tea, to which I kindly replied "no thank you."

March 2024 on, my life and perspective has been drastically changed. In joining CCA, I learned to say "yes" to entering into the lives of this community. I said "yes" to entering small apartments empty of furniture but full of hospitality- warm cups of tea spiced with cardamom, and personal stories of families who have fled their home countries in search of safety and better lives for their children.

Little did they know that in coming to the U.S., they would be met with financially out of reach soccer programs for their children. These kids live and breathe soccer, and yet were stuck kicking their ball in the small pavement outside their apartment.

CCA has allowed the un-reachable to be reached. These kids get to be on teams playing the sport they love with coaches who deeply care for them! This only happens because of generous people like you.

Many of the kids CCA serves come from places like Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine, often carrying experiences of war, displacement, and uncertainty. When they arrive in Sacramento, they’re stepping into a brand new world.

CCA meets them there—on the field. Through sports, kids build friendships, gain confidence, and experience what it feels like to be truly welcomed. But it doesn’t stop at the game. Coaches and mentors invest in their lives, showing up consistently and reminding them they are seen, valued, and loved.

That’s why I’m part of this effort. I believe in the impact of creating spaces where kids can feel at home.

If you’re able, I’d love for you to join my "All Star Team" in supporting this work. Your gift helps create more moments of connection, more opportunities to belong, and more stories of hope.

Check out this great video of little Yasir and his dad sharing what CCA means to them: