Humble Design Hopes to Launch Fundraising Marvel with Jump Challenge

    Everyone remembers jumping on the bed as a kid – that feeling like you may actually take flight with every bounce. Now imagine how different a childhood is without that bed or a home where you can jump.

    Julie Nagle
    Julie Nagle

    That is why Metro Detroit non-profit organization Humble Design has launched a campaign to make sure every kid it helps has a new, clean bed for playing, sleeping and, of course, jumping. The “Jump Challenge” hopes to raise money to buy beds for the many families it helps through its home-furnishing program.

    “Our biggest challenge with our families is getting enough funding to get them off the floor and into a bed,” said Julie Nagle, director of Pontiac-based Humble Design.

    Here’s how the “Jump Challenge” works: Record yourself or loved ones jumping on their beds. Put those pictures or videos on social media with the hashtage #humblejump. Humble design will feature videos and posts on its official websites and Instagram feed. Then, donate to Humble Design. Next, challenge your friends to do the same.  All proceeds raised will benefit hundreds of families in need of beds and furnishings, Nagle said.

    Humble Design logoSome background: Two Birmingham women, Ana Smith and Treger Strasberg, formed Humble Design in 2009 to assist families coming out of homeless and abuse shelters with the process of rebuilding their home lives. The organization’s mission: to turn four bare walls into a clean, dignified and welcoming home by repurposing gently used household goods. To date, Humble Design has furnished the homes of 436 Detroit-area families.

    Humble Design partners with local area homeless and abuse shelters to identify families that are emerging from shelters and into low-income housing. Many of these families are victims of abuse and have left behind all personal items upon escaping and entering an emergency shelter. Most have no beds, books, toys or furniture.

    “Many of our families come to us with nothing; many of them just have the clothes on their backs,” Nagle said. “We provide them with an ‘Extreme Makeover’ and furnish their homes with everything from top to bottom. … You’d be amazed by what we see. These children bypass the toys and games we provide and run to their bed. For most it is the first bed they have ever called their own.”

    Herman Moore
    Herman Moore takes a leap.

    Once a partnering agency makes a referral, Humble Design designers meet with the families to do a needs assessment and develop a client wish list. From there, Humble Design designers move swiftly to: place the furnishings, toys, accessories and housewares; do any minor cleaning; and officially move the families into their new housing.

    The “Jump Challenge” combines people’s favorite memories with a desire to help others, Nagle said.

    “We at first thought of asking people to sleep on the floor, so they could see what the experience was like and then post photos when they woke up in the morning. But we realized that was too hard of an ask,” Nagle explained. “Our creative team got together and they starting thinking about jumping on the bed. Everyone loved it when they were a kid. So we thought we could challenge families to do it. But anyone can participate – schools, sports teams, fraternities, corporations and more.”

    Speaking of Moore, Humble Design got Herman Moore to jump on a bed to promote its campaign. Everyone soon got into the act, Nagle said.

    “They were all hesitant to start. But once they got there, it was like we were all seven again. No one wanted to get off the bed,” Nagle said.

    For more information please visit www.jumponthebed.com or www.humbledesign.org.