Kicks Challenge #1 - Homelessness

Happy June, Kicks Community! Every month we will be issuing a “Kicks Challenge” to all of you out there to test your resolve by putting yourself in the shoes of another for just one day a month. It is a campaign we are calling “Understanding Through Empathy” and it is going to be a lot of fun! We recommend that you undertake this first challenge with your family, kids, girl/boyfriend…whomever, as it is sure to be a great bonding experience and life lesson, especially for children.

C’mon, take the plunge- its only one day and if you challenge yourself you may find that it is not only a great learning experience for you and your loved ones, but also a lot of fun as well.

So, for our First Kicks Challenge, we dare the Kicks Community to spend one full night sleeping outside of your house. I’m not talking about a road trip to a state park over the weekend. No, I mean one night in your backyard in a sleeping bag or a tent with all of your clothes and belongings for the next day. No shower. No computer. No nothing except what you bring with you outdoors. Rules are simple: once you go outside and begin the challenge you may not go back in your home for 24 hours

*Bonus points for doing it on a work night, extra bonus for wearing a suit the next day, which is what I will be doing.

Parents, I encourage you to bring your children with you, provided the environment is safe. Make it an event! It will be a great opportunity for quality family time and will surly become a lesson in empathy that you won’t soon forget.

If you don’t live in a safe area, discuss the challenge with a friend who has a safe yard and make it a group activity. It will be a great opportunity to discuss with your children the realities facing many people who are homeless here in this country and around the world. Highlight recent events to establish a tangible frame of reference for your children such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and imagine yourselves in their shoes, unable to retreat indoors after the Kicks Challenge is over. Use facts to drive the point home such as: 2 million people are homeless in Haiti after the earthquake or that roughly 1 out of 70 people on the planet have no roof over their heads.

Don’t forget to debrief your family members and/or friends on their experience the next day. What did you learn from this experience? How did you feel when you woke up in the morning? Were you able to get a good night’s sleep? Why or why not? How could this experience relate to your lives? Why should we care? How does this problem affect us as a family/country/humanity? What could be done to help alleviate homelessness in your community?

I will post a debriefing form for all Kicks Challenges, so check back soon for this listing titled: Challenge #1- Homelessness. Be sure to make a journal entry and encourage your kids to do the same, it will enrich the lesson we’re driving home (homelessness is a major problem in the world) and cement the experience as an unforgettable one.

This could be a great opportunity to connect to your friends, family and neighbors for a life lesson that you and your kids will never forget. So, please participate in this Kicks Challenge #1 - Homelessness and be sure to post your ideas, thoughts, experiences, suggestions to this blog or contact me directly at: TheKicksProject@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading – I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Michael E. Gage