Country of Residence
United States
Age
14
Project title
Room To Be
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
A bed gives a child a place to sleep, but Room to Be gives them a place to belong. I started this project after recognizing that while other organizations provide essential furniture to families transitioning out of homelessness, the personal touches that say “you are home” are often missing. Through personalized bedroom kits inspired by each child’s favorite colors and interests, we help transform a new space into a place of warmth, comfort, and belonging.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
www.RoomtoBe-ny.com
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
I was sitting in my bedroom, surrounded by all the little things that make it mine. My room is where I go when I need a break, where I can be comfortable and just be myself. I started thinking about how much I take that feeling for granted, and how many children don’t have a space they can truly call their own. This made me start researching organizations that support families transitioning into stable homes. I was amazed by the work being done to provide housing, beds, furniture, and other essentials. But as I looked through photos of the rooms these organizations had furnished, something stood out to me. There were beds and tables, but the rooms looked bare and lonely. I knew how much these things meant to families starting over, but I couldn’t help thinking about the children walking into those rooms for the first time. Would they feel like they were home, or simply that they had somewhere to sleep? That’s when I had my idea. What if I could build on the work these organizations were already doing by helping make the children’s new bedrooms feel more personal and welcoming? I started Room to Be to help spread a feeling: the comfort of having a space that’s truly yours and the warmth of knowing someone thought about you. My goal is simply to help a child walk into a new room and feel, “This is mine. I’m home.”
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Having a new home is a huge step for families moving into stable housing. Organizations work hard to make this possible, but for children, the transition involves more than having a bed to sleep in. After experiencing uncertainty and instability, they are entering an unfamiliar space and beginning a new phase. While basic furniture meets an important physical need, it doesn't necessarily address the emotional need and the comfort that comes from feeling at home. A bare bedroom may give a place to sleep, but it can still feel temporary or impersonal. I believe children deserve to experience the excitement of having a space that feels welcoming and truly theirs. The problem I’m trying to address isn’t a lack of furniture. It’s the often-overlooked emotional side of starting over and the importance of helping kids feel a sense of security and belonging in their new homes.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Room to Be will work alongside organizations that are already helping families establish stable homes. I will partner with them to add something extra for the children they already serve. My first partnership is with Beds for Kids in North Carolina, an organization that provides beds and essential furniture to families in need. To protect the families’ privacy, I don’t meet them directly. Instead, our partner gives our short questionnaire to learn about each child’s favorite colors, interests, and what would make their room feel special. Using this information, I create an individual mood board to plan the room’s look and select items specific for each child. Each kit includes thoughtfully chosen items: bedding, a lamp/light, a comfort item, and a personalized note. With raised funds, we purchase, pack and ship the room kit to our partner organization so the items can be incorporated into the child’s new bedroom on move-in day. What makes this approach work is that it builds on an existing network of organizations already serving these families. They handle the furnishings, while Room to Be focuses on the details that make the kids' bedrooms personal.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Room to Be is still in its early pilot stage, but we’ve already taken our first steps toward making a difference. Through our partnership with Beds for Kids, we’ve delivered bedroom kits for six children. I realize that the number six is a small number, but each kit represents a chance to make a child’s entrance into a new home feel a bit more personal. The feedback from Beds for Kids is especially important since we aren’t able to communicate directly with the families. The responses so far shows that what we’re doing is having an impact. After receiving our packages, the referral manager emailed, “This is amazing!! These boys and their mom are going to be so happy!” and “We delivered the items today and it was incredible.” As Room to Be grows, I hope to involve more students and community members in raising funds to collect supplies. I want to support more children, but I also don’t want success to be judged only by the number of kits delivered. Hopefully each child feels that someone took the time to think about them and create something just for them.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
I don’t think Room to Be is about inventing something completely new. It’s more about finding a different way to help using programs that already exist. One thing I think makes Room to Be different is that we can create something personal for a child without ever meeting them. Through a simple questionnaire, children get to share what they like and have a say in how their new bedroom will feel. We use their answers to put together something just for them, instead of giving every child the same items. For instance, we learned a nine year old girl loves the colors pink and teal and the character Snoopy. So we managed to find bedding with Snoopy images and these colors! I also like that Room to Be doesn’t need its own referral system or a place to store large furniture. By working with organizations that already help these families, we can focus our time and resources on the children and the bedroom kits. My hope is that this idea can eventually work with other organizations and in other communities, while still making sure every child receives something that feels like it was chosen just for them.
How many people are on your team?
1
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Right now, it's just me with help from my parents. I reached out to Beds for Kids to develop a pilot program and currently manage the communication, planning, and design of each bedroom kit. I recently joined my school’s Habitat for Humanity club and hope to eventually involve other students in Room to Be. Over time, I’d like to build a team focused on fundraising, donations, and community outreach, while I continue overseeing the creative side to make sure each kit remains thoughtful.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I want to figure out a way to get more students and families involved in Room to Be so we can help more children. Now that we’ve completed our first kits, I’d like to continue working with Beds for Kids, learn from what worked and what didn’t, and slowly take on more referrals. I also recently joined my school’s Habitat for Humanity club. I’m attending my first build event this month and I want to spend the year learning more about the club and how it works. Once I’ve been involved for a while, I’d love to find a way to bring Room to Be into the club, maybe through fundraisers, donation drives, or school events. Another goal is to reach out to local businesses to see if they’d be willing to donate supplies, offer discounts, or help sponsor kits. Since every kit is different, raising money is especially important because it allows us to buy things based on what each child actually likes.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
Since Room to Be is still new, I’ve mostly worked with my parents and Beds for Kids to get things started. I’ve created a website to share the project and show examples of the kits, and I’m hoping to get more students involved as it grows. I think sharing real stories is one of the best ways to get people to care. For example, we learned that most of the children don’t have ceiling lights in their bedrooms. One child did his homework in the bathroom after dark. That’s something that many kids never think about. One idea I have is a “Light the Room” fundraiser, where students could raise money specifically for lamps and nightlights. I’d also love to create other small fundraisers for bedding or comfort items, giving students a specific goal and letting them come up with their own ways to help. I hope that sharing these stories, while protecting the families’ privacy, will help other students understand the difference even one small contribution can make. I’d love for Room to Be to become something that inspires other kids to get involved, too.
