What is the The Kickz for Kidz Program?

The Dream of the Kickz for Kidz Program

In his own words, "Good Home" George Antuna shares what guided him to launch the Kickz for Kidz Program

Native communities experience higher rates of suicide compared to all other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaska Natives across all ages. For Native youth ages 8 to 24, suicide is the second leading cause of death. The Native youth suicide rate is 4.5 times higher than the overall national average, making these rates the highest across all ethnic and racial groups.
These statistics are unacceptable to me as a father and member of my indigenous community.

Many years ago I was in a halfway house depressed and suicidal. I was struggling to find a job. And if I couldn’t find a job, they were gonna kick me out the program and I’d go to jail. Well, one night I had a dream... A young warrior came to me and said, "My mother wants to help you." She said, "We are not blood family, but we are still family." "She wants to bead you some moccasins to help you get a job. So pick out the colors of beads you want." And so I did. In the dream she handed back the beautiful beaded moccasins and said to me, “When you get your job, just give them back”. So that planted the seed of the Kickz for Kidz Program. This program is the fulfillment of "giving back" - to our children, to our future. We do this so these young people may feel loved, valued, and in turn find "their jobs" to support themselves and their families. But also, to find their place in their communities and ultimately in humanity. Because, "The more successful they are as individuals, the more successful we are as a nation".

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What is the Kickz for Kidz Program?

The Kickz for Kidz Program gets to the core of generational traumas and identity issues in indigenous communities. The traditional values, morals, teachings and way of life of indigenous people has been dying for years. So this program is simple, but deep in the heart of all of us.
- inspiring our children to heal because feeling good about how they look and feel is healing in itself so by providing an opportunity for them to receive good shoes they will be encouraged to show up in a better space for themselves. This instantly creates a new future through their everyday life and promotes self achievement within them.

"The Kickz for Kidz Program provides school shoes for children in struggling indigenous communities and in the inner cities across the United States and South America.
This program literally saves lives!"

We believe that by providing good shoes for our children will instill self-worth, improve self-image, grow confidence, and enhance the way they show up to the world. This let's our young people know we love, care for, and support them! Because, let’s be honest, it’s degrading to go to school with messed up shoes!

Not having proper shoes on our feet is detrimental to the psychological ideal of self and cool shoes are everything to a school kid. So turning that around begins with the steps they take in life thus, the very shoes they wear on their feet. Encouraging actual movement and steps forward in life, Inspires and empowers self achievement tapping the roots of our indigenous values and teachings.

We strive so Kickz for Kidz Program will inspire our young people to be become better leaders for themselves, our communities, and our future generations upon our Earth. most importantly we want our children to feel important and look stylish too. Thank you!

How Does It Work?

The Kicks for Kidz Program is an annual giving program. So a student signs up and registers for the program and receives a new pair of shoes every school year they sign up. In doing so, each student agrees to honor the values and guidelines of the program. The program designed to encourage self worth, promote education, and empower accountability. The motivational support that is part of the Kickz for Kidz Program inspires the pursuit of something better for our young people - to achieve something more fulfilling for their lives and to strive for the betterment of themselves and their community and their nation. Kickz for Kidz encourages empowerment through achievement and they look good doing so.

It is vital we take care of and support our children on their first day of school, and in every step they take in life. They are our future! our future depends on it!