It’s a story oddly reminiscent of the Charity Newsies fundraising the schools do each year and the tale of the boy selling his papers out in the cold: Kyle Barger, who lives in Bexley with his partner Lisa and their four children, six-year old Charlotte (Charlie), two-year-old Cleopatra (Cleo), and twin seven-month-olds Apollo and Athena 7,  has intertwined his life and businesses with taking care of the homeless. 

The inspiration for the founding of his Make a Day organization, Kyle says, was: “In 2016, my cousin Alex and I went to lunch in the Short North. Waiting outside of an Chipotle we encountered two gentlemen asking for help getting something to eat. So we ordered a couple extra burritos and gave them to the men on our way out. One thanked us and walked away. The other smiled and started chatting with us. His name was Bo and it quickly became apparent he was more interested in the company than the food. We ate our lunch together and he told us about his life, his family, his time as a truck driver, how much he loved Columbus. He eventually shared he had been homeless for over 8 years and was fighting colon cancer without treatment while living on the streets and how hard that had been. We could see his pain and I think more than that, that he was having to go through it alone. 

“We finished lunch and asked Bo to come with us. We went up the street to Kroger and bought him some Depends, some snacks and Vienna sausages (he loved those). We noticed his backpack had a broken strap so we went across the street to a consignment shop and bought a tie to fix his missing strap. While we were there, we got him some new clothes and shoes. He joked that he looked so good now nobody would believe he’s homeless and give him money, haha. Not once did Bo ever ask for money or any of these items. He truly was just happy to have two people to talk to and feel connected to. We finished the day feeding squirrels sunflower seeds in Goodale Park and eating Klondike bars. 

“Sadly Bo is no longer with us but I know for sure that those two to three hours we spent together and maybe $25 changed our lives forever. We walked away happy to have met Bo, and motivated to make a bigger impact. After that we walked back to my office and started planning how we could recreate that day on a bigger level to help more people. Shortly thereafter, Make A Day was born with the intent that both volunteers could feel what we felt that day and those we serve know that there are people who see them, hear them and love them.”

Since its inception in 2017, Make-A-Day hopes to remove barriers for people experiencing homelessness by offering twice-weekly outreach in certain locations plus large pop-up outreach events. This year, they have done 220 haircuts, provided nearly 3,000 meals, and hosted 12 housing resource clinics that have prevented 88 evictions – rent assistance being named one of the best ways to prevent homelessness. Make-A-Wish is committed to a trauma-informed approach in helping marginalized people access social services.

This year, Kyle is proud that Make A Day was recognized by the City of Columbus as their first mobile rent assistance partner in the city and that they doubled their full time staff with “three incredible team members: Camille Heller, our Director of Outreach, Wade Biglin, Housing Resource Specialist, and Brittani Orr, Hair Program Manager. I can’t say enough great things about each of them and how much good they are putting into the world.”

Kyle wishes more people knew that “many of the stereotypes and stigmas of folks experiencing homelessness are misguided. I have heard some incredible stories over the years from meeting sparring partners of Sugar Ray Leonard, notable Ohio State football players, talented artists, and often some tragic event or trauma changed the trajectory of their life. But that doesn’t mean another event or person can’t help guide their future trajectory for the better!”

It’s a message he is actively instilling in his family. “Many of my friends, my family and even my kids come and serve at Make A Day events,” Kyle says. “Charlie [his eldest] loves passing out the food and pretending like she’s running a restaurant. Lisa has been a hair stylist for 16 years so she comes and cuts hair.” 

“TIME - TALENT - TREASURE.” Kyle states, when asked how this 43209 neighborhood can help. “We all have varying degrees of each. If you have TIME please come and volunteer at an event. It’s as easy as having lunch with a stranger. I promise you will make someone’s day through connection and walk away feeling so good from the experience. TALENT- do you have a skill or resource that could benefit those we serve? Please join us! TREASURE- consider making a monthly recurring donation on our website. For a little as $5 we can feed someone a delicious hot meal and provide a pampered haircut experience while being over a dozen social services directly to those in need at our events.”

As the owner and operator of The Champion Trading Group, Barger Property Ventures which includes The Oasis at Hocking Hills, and as a partner at Vohnt valet car care at Columbus and Cincinnati airports, he ensures that each of these for profit companies donates a portion of profits every year to help cover Make A Days operating costs and its ability to serve full time. 

“It’s one of our core values to ‘Build to Share,’ ” he says “We work hard to be successful at each of our ventures to give in a bigger way.”

You may have seen the Oasis at Hocking Hills advertise on the pages of this magazine. It is Kyle’s latest and “by far my favorite project to date,” he says. “A short 40 minute drive down 33 from Bexley, we built a micro resort on Lake Logan to act as a retreat for families with four properties on the lake that can host groups from 4-50, weddings up to 75, and corporate retreats. We added amenities like a pickleball court, commercial golf simulator, private chefs, in-home massage, really anything to create an unforgettable experience for you and your loved ones.”

He explains the properties include “two treehouses with cargo nets, turbo slides, suspension bridges, projector screens that come out of the ceiling. The treehouses have beds for four, fully stocked kitchens and luxurious bathrooms all up in the trees for a fun adventure. We have a modern A Frame for up to 15 with a home theater, beautiful furnishings and large spaces for hosting. And our lodge was created to be a one of a kind property with three suites, a 27’ great room with floor to ceiling fireplace, dining table to seat 14 and a giant chef's kitchen. The basement features a sports bar with five flat screen TVs, commercial golf simulator, multiple arcade games and two bunk rooms inspired by the Burger King play places we had as kids.” If you’re looking for a place to get away while supporting those in need or wish to lend a financial hand visit www.makeaday.fun or www.oasishh.com.