Hunger will return, hair will grow, clothes will fade, but acts of love and encouragement create everlasting growth. - Kyle (founder)

Our Story

Make-A-Day was founded in 2018 by cousins Kyle, Alex, and Rebekah. The idea was sparked by a day spent with two unhoused neighbors, sharing a meal, shopping for clothes, and building connection, and by the example of their grandfather Ralph Emrich, who dedicated his life to service. Their first pop-up at 5th and High set the tone for MAD’s work: a place where meals, haircuts, and essentials opened the door to trust, dignity, and community.

Our Mission

Make-A-Day is Columbus' mobile front door to stability. We walk alongside neighbors experiencing homelessness and economic instability, meeting them where they are, stabilizing immediate needs, removing the barriers that keep people stuck, and building clear pathways to housing, employment, and long-term belonging.

We believe every person has goals, skills, and potential. Our role is to help clear the obstacles, missing IDs, criminal records, gaps in benefits, broken connections to systems, that stand between people and the life they are working toward.

Our official mission statement:
To empower the impoverished through inclusive community events, acts of kindness, outreach, advocacy, and educational awareness.

Where We're Headed

MAD is not standing still. By 2029, we are working toward a clearer, more connected version of this work: faster time-to-stability for the people we serve, a transparent impact system that shows what is actually changing, and a stronger presence as a civic partner helping to remove the systemic barriers that keep homelessness in place.

We are building toward being unmistakable in Columbus. Not just visible, but trusted, effective, and built to last.

Our Impact

Since 2018, MAD has:

• Shared 60,000+ meals with neighbors across Central Ohio

• Provided 12,000+ essentials like clothing and hygiene supplies

• Connected hundreds of guests to housing and jobs

• Engaged 500+ volunteers in building community care

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