Katie Blomquist – Joy is a basic need

She really connected with a student in her class when she was a teacher. That relationship led to her understanding that Jawan didn’t have a bike. She asked other kids in her class and found that most did not have a bike and if they did it was old and rusty. She decided to start a gofundme.

When home life is not predictable a bike can provide joy and ownership of something of value.

The GoFundMe was a success and she was able to get all 650 kids in her school a bike, helmet, and bike lock! It went completely viral. Katie’s campaign went viral and some of the top news outlets in the country reported on it including Good Morning America, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, ABC World News, Time Magazine, USA Today, Post and Courier, and The Steve Harvey Show. The story behind Going Places was catching on fire throughout America. On March 30, 2017, she surprised every student at Pepperhill Elementary School with a brand new bike. After this successful event, Katie now had an even greater vision.

She took the step to create the nonprofit and started helping more schools every year. She eventually left her job and focused on growing the business and furthering her mission to bring joy to children in need.

Now they have multiple fundraisers and provide more than just bikes.

Numerous organizations focus on providing the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, yet one thing often overlooked for children is their social-emotional need for Joy. For many kids living in poverty, it is when they get home from school that the real stress begins. So why a bike?

These kids can live in less-than-desirable and unpredictable circumstances and a bike provides them with a sense of freedom and escape. It also builds self-worth by being the first item of value they can call their own. A bike can restore the innocence of childhood that many have had taken away.

A person may have all of the basic “needs” in life, but what kind of life is one without Joy? What kind of adult will a child grow up to be if they have lacked Joy?

Find out more about Going places at goingplacesnonprofit.org