Breaking Barriers: How CBN is Creating Opportunities for Refugee Youth in Salem Oregon

For over two years, the Congregation of Black Naturalists (CBN) Founder Michael Arthur has been volunteering in Salem, Oregon, to teach soccer to refugee youth, using the sport as a tool for social change, empowerment, and community building. Many refugee youth arrive with a deep love for soccer but face overwhelming barriers like financial struggles, lack of transportation, and limited access to organized sports. While eager to play, many cannot afford program fees, cleats, uniforms, and weather-appropriate clothing. Transportation remains a major challenge, as many families do not own cars.

At CBN, we believe soccer is more than just a game—it is a tool for educating youth on health and wellness, developing life skills like discipline, perseverance, teamwork, and communication, and creating pathways to academic and college opportunities. For refugee youth far from home, it also fosters a sense of belonging and builds a supportive community that uplifts, encourages, and empowers them to thrive. We are seeking funding and partnerships to support youths' unmet needs.

How CBN Is Making a Difference

Since 2022, Michael Arthur has been providing free soccer training and mentorship to refugee boys in Salem though All Nations Oregon Futbol Club. Michael Arthur is a dedicated volunteer coach and advocate, who helps to empower refugee youth in Salem through soccer. His efforts include providing transportation to practices and games and creating an employment pathway for youth to be trained and certified as referees. Michael has built several connections with leaders from organizations such as All Nations, Capitol Football Club, Salem Alliance Church, and Salem Panthers FC in hopes of coming together to break down barriers for refugee youth.

Unmet Needs

Refugee families come from cultures where sports are part of daily life, but in the U.S., they face new challenges:

• High program costs—organized soccer fees are unaffordable for many families. Many talented youth come to us after having to leave other soccer programs due to the financial burden of participation.

• Lack of gear—some youth play in sneakers or borrowed cleats, often without essential protective gear like shin guards. Without the right footwear, they face a higher risk of injury on the field. Our team of volunteer coaches frequently donates shoes, but the need remains great.

• No weather-appropriate clothing—Oregon’s wet and cold months make it difficult for our youth to play outdoors, as many lack proper jackets, gloves, and thermal gear. For indoor soccer, they also don’t have the right shoes, further limiting their ability to train year-round

• Insufficient training equipment—CBN and partners lack essential soccer training equipment, limiting the drills that can be run and the technical skills youth can develop. For example, we don't have enough soccer balls, the result is that youth have limited opportunities to practice drills. We also lack essential tools like agility ladders and poles, soccer passing gates, mini goals, and rebounders. Additionally, we have no funding for a licensed coach who can develop our team and help players to advance their skills.

• Lack of reliable transportation—Many refugee families do not have access to personal vehicles, and public transportation is not an option for younger players. As a result, youth miss out on training opportunities simply because they cannot get there. While we do our best to arrange carpools and support transportation needs, we lack funding for a consistent and dependable transportation system.

  
  

Without financial assistance, proper gear, equipment, and transportation, these young athletes struggle to progress—not due to a lack of talent, but because of barriers that should never keep a child from playing the sport they love.

Scaling Our Impact with the Nike Community Impact Fund

To grow our efforts and sustainability, CBN applied to Nike’s Community Impact Fund to:

• Provide cleats, shin guards, and soccer clothing for youth.

• Purchase essential training equipment, improving skill development.

• Strengthen transportation, ensuring consistent participation.

• Expand referee training and certification program.

• Establish a leadership development and health education program.

At CBN, we are not just coaching soccer—we are building future leaders and strengthening communities.

Join us in making a difference!