What: UTEP physical therapy students inaugurate soccer field for children at homeless shelter
When: 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21
Where: La Posada Home, 1020 N. Campbell St.
Children at La Posada Home in downtown El Paso will get a backyard soccer field in time for Christmas, thanks to students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at The University of Texas at El Paso.
Children living in the homeless shelter will play a mini soccer match to inaugurate the soccer field at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21. Members of the media are invited to attend.
About 33 students from the DPT class of 2016 raised more than $6,500 to lay down a synthetic turf in La Posada’s backyard and purchase athletic equipment, including a net and soccer balls for the children.
UTEP students will hand out soccer balls and recognize community supporters during the event. Among the items to be donated is a soccer ball signed by the UTEP women’s soccer team.
DPT students Kiersten Garrand and Amber Flores were inspired to build a soccer field for children at the shelter after participating in a community-based learning course at La Posada in 2014.
“All the kids wanted to do was play soccer,” said Garrand, who spearheaded the project. “We decided to make them a soccer field because we wanted to do something for them to make them happy. This is our way of giving back.”
Volunteers cleared rocks and other debris from the backyard before the 52-foot by 30-foot artificial field was installed Dec. 15 with the help of volunteers.
DPT students hosted fundraising events, launched a GoFundMe page and received in kind donations to make the field a reality.
La Posada provides shelter, support, education, recreation and assistance to women and children who are experiencing homelessness. Families may stay up to a year and are able to develop healthy, long-term goals for their families. La Posada provides assistance in the search for permanent housing.