How We Help

Happy Holidays!

A good friend of SOS (Molly Barrington) does a lot of amazing work with The Open Shelter throughout the year, and she asked if we could rally our "SOS kiddo" troops to help make homemade Holiday cards for 250 people in need this holiday season. In addition to the cards, we are asking for a $10 donation per card so we can throw in a little Kroger gift card goodness!

If you've never heard of The Open Shelter, it's an Advocacy Center & Day Services Shelter for homeless and marginally-housed people in Central Ohio. The Open Shelter serviced over 3,000 men, women and children in 2019, and continues to do amazing work in Columbus.

Here's how you can help:

1) Decide how many homemade cards you want to sign up to make and grab your supplies. (Blank card stock or construction paper, markers, crayons, or colored pencils, tickers, glitter, or any other creative thing you can think of!)

2) Donate to the gift card fund through Keep Moving. To donate, click here. Please match up the number of cards you're making with the gift card amount so we know how many cards you are going to make. For example:

1 card=$10 donation

5 cards=$50 donation

10 cards=$100 donation

*We will take care of buying the gift cards and taping them inside of the homemade cards.  

3) Turn on some holiday music and get yourself a nice cup of hot cocoa!

4) Engage your hearts and minds. Have you ever felt sad and lonely? What would the holidays look like if you didn’t have a home and family to share it with?

5) Watch The Old Man- a short story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iYd4EvxZ_U&feature=youtu.be

6) Make our homeless and hungry friends an amazing card! Put your whole hearts into it!

7) Turn in the homemade cards to SOS in Clintonville by Saturday 12/12 at noon.

8) Give yourself a high five! You just made someone’s Holiday!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Molly Barrington at mollybarrington1@gmail.com or Keri Croft at keri@systemofstrength.com

Thank you so much for considering, and Keep Moving!

xoxo-

Team SOS

We first met the Gage family in 2013 when their mom, Laura started working out with us at our very first studio on Delashmut Ave.  It wasn't long after that Laura introduced her two beautiful and dynamic, rock star kids, Selby and Chase, both to the studio and to our hearts.  On special occasions we would be treated with the presence of their dad Quint, whom they would drag along (only by promise of a post torture Egg McMuffin treat.) The Gage family quickly became one of our favorites. They all carried such a vibrant energy and gratitude with them.  They had smiles that lit you up and an awareness and presence of each moment. They made us stronger just by being themselves and allowing us to share in their day.

On May 14th, 2015 we learned that Chase had suddenly passed away at just 19 years old. We couldn't comprehend the pain. We could not understand how such a brilliant and enthusiastic soul was lifted so quickly from us.  All we could do was figure out a way to wrap this beautiful family as tightly as we could with a system of strength, in hopes that they knew we were with them as they tried to move forward one step at a time.

Enter Keep Moving.

Chase was an unbelievable runner and a member of the Wittenberg Cross Country team. In June of 2015, a 5 mile race was coordinated by Chase’s friends in his honor.  In addition to providing volunteers for the event, Keep Moving was able to step in and produce graphic tees that were sold online via pre-sale before the event, as well as day of the event. 100% of all profits were donated directly to Chase's scholarship fund set up on behalf of him at Wittenberg.

The Chase Life t-shirt struck a cord with everyone in the SOS community and they continue to be a best seller, due in large part to the profound message, encouraging people to "Chase Life".  Any revenue from the Chase Life brand will continue to be donated to the Chase Gage Scholarship fund as well as Keep Moving.

Chase Life is a cause is very near and dear to our hearts, and we will continue to support the Gage family and Chase Life in any way that we can.  

In the words of Selby's finance, Oliver Rouch, "We will remember Chase for being the sunlight on our cloudy days and our music in a quiet space. No one will ever replace you Chase, but we owe it to the world to be a whole lot like you. To chase our passions, to chase our joy, quite simply, to chase life".