Houses for Change is a fun, educational crafts project to raise awareness of homelessness and raise funds for any homeless shelter, food bank or other charity.

Using arts supplies, children decorate pre-ordered house-shaped cardboard boxes to look like a house. Participants take their boxes home and in the following weeks fill them with change. On a selected date, families bring their filled boxes back to the organization that arranged the project for a communal donation to any homeless-related or other charity they select.

More than 50,000 kids have raised more than $500,000 for charities of their choice in the Houses for Change collection boxes they created.

Houses for Change was created by long-time Family Promise volunteer Mark Wasserman to engage youth in the issue of family homelessness and to teach kids the values of compassion, charity and saving–values that will last them a lifetime.

Houses for Change has universal appeal. It has been adopted by families, schools, congregations, Vacation Bible School, homeless organizations, the United Way, and the YMCA to engage their youth in a meaningful service project. The project can be used at community service days and children’s parties as piggy banks; at churches as Advent, Lenten and collection boxes; and at synagogues as tzedakah boxes.

Visit the Houses for Change Facebook page for ways to implement this project.

See Frequently Asked Questions.

Ready to create your own Houses for Change project? Click this link to learn how to Get Started.

Please view the video to learn how you can make a difference with Houses for Change.

In the Media
Huffington Post Play Dates to Teach Kids Value of Helping Homeless.

nj.com Students Collect Money for Homeless Families.

CBS12 Gift of Giving

Sun Sentinel Children Help Homeless.

DRW Magazine Kids Can.

Annie Fox’s Blog Give Kids a Chance to Give