Members of USA Women’s Eagles Sevens gave up time on their off-day to serve their local community at Mama’s Kitchen, a San Diego food pantry dedicated to providing medically tailored meals to individuals fighting critical illnesses.
The visit plays out a core pillar of the team’s current training block: prioritizing community connection and "inspiring through action." During the visit, the Eagles rolled up their sleeves to help prepare and pack over 700 meals, contributing to the organization’s mission of ensuring no one faces a health crisis and hunger simultaneously.
For the Eagles, who live and train full-time in San Diego, the opportunity to support a local organization founded on the principles of care and resilience hit home.
Autumn "Autie" LoCicero, part of USA Women’s Eagles Sevens leadership group, reflected on the experience:
“As a team, we’re committed to inspiring through our actions and empowering our communities, especially here in San Diego, where we live and train. This block, we made it a priority to reach out, give back, and connect with our community. Serving others isn’t separate from our game; it’s part of our highwoman identity and fuels the same heart we bring to every match.”
The team highlighted the synergy between their identity as elite athletes and the compassionate labor required at Mama’s Kitchen.
“Mama’s Kitchen provides meals for people fighting serious health battles, and we were proud to support a business started by a highwoman making such a difference," LoCicero added. "As athletes, we felt a real connection to their mission. Packing over 700 meals reminded us that strength isn’t just physical, it’s caring for others and lifting up our community. Serving alongside them lets us live our purpose of inspiring through action and giving back to San Diego, the place we call home.”
On the pitch, the USA Women’s Sevens Eagles continue to prepare for the upcoming stages of the HSBC SVNS Series, carrying the spirit and strength of the community with them onto the world stage.
USA fans can watch the Eagles live in Vancouver on Paramount+ and for those that want to show their support for the team in person, the USA Women’s Eagles will play at home in NYC on March 14-15th at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Tickets are on sale now at: https://sitickets.com/group/team/hsbc-svns-new-york
Established in 1990, Mama’s Kitchen started as a volunteer-driven response by San Diego caregivers who were deeply concerned about their neighbors affected by the AIDS epidemic. Today, it has expanded its mission to provide nutritional support to San Diegans facing HIV, cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Their services improve the health and well-being of individuals and families vulnerable to malnutrition due to critical illness
More information on how to donate or volunteer can be found here: https://mamaskitchen.org/
November 29 - 30 | Dubai - 5th Place
December 6 - 7 | Cape Town - 4th Place
January 31 - February 1 | Singapore - 4th Place
February 7 - 8 | Perth - 4th Place
March 7 - 8 | Vancouver
March 14 - 15 | NYC
April 17 - 19 | Hong Kong
May 29 -31 | Valladolid
June 5 - 7 | Bordeaux
