Our Vision
We want to see families do service for others and impact the world. In doing service, they can unify, strengthen and empower their family.
Our Project
We are creating a computer game for families that uses a game-like environment that motivates families to take on Challenges and Quests and move through various levels to achieve their goals. Quests are adventures based on helping others that they chose
as a family, then do together: helping an elderly neighbour clean their yard or going to a senior's home to share time. There will also be community quests that involve families coming together for a community wide project – such as picking up garbage in
a park or helping in a food drive for the local food bank.
Challenges, both personal and family, are actions that are required to complete levels: the whole family sitting down at the table for one meal a day for 1 week, or having a weekly family meeting for 1 month. Challenges motivate families to do the kinds
of activites that unifies strengthens and empowers both themselves as individuals and the family unit.
Families earn family and community points that accumulate until they finish the level. Points earned equate to a certain dollar amount that releases sponsor-donated funds that are given both locally and throughout the world to help families. Families do
not receive the money but are able to choose from several options where the funds are given.
These are some of the elements that families will find in their private family room:
Each member of the family will have their own personal room.
Here is some information on what happens in the game levels.
Our Story
For over 2 years we have being searching for a way to move this idea into reality. In the fall of 2012, Rick took a gamification course offered through the University of Pennsylvania and found an answer. Almost everyone loves games. What if we create a online
game-like environment that encourages families to do real-life adventures/quests in the form of service to others? An environment where families are encouraged through challenges to do the kind of things that strengthen families?
We could build upon a parent’s intrinsic desire to have a strong happy family and to do some good in their community - where they make a difference as a family.
As parent/family coaches, our purpose is to unify, strengthen and empower the family. The Families Helping Families concept is a way of encouraging families to incorporate meaningful activities and develop positive habits as a family. It helps them develop
a vision of who they are, and what their purpose is as a family. The game provides a fun environment for families to look at the important issues of family life such as communication, values, boundaries, responsibility and how they see themselves as a family
unit. As they focus on their service quests, we challenge them to them create new habits and to look at new ways of interacting as a family.
The Families Helping Families game app will be available to families either at no cost or a very low fee of $1.00. We see this project operating best through a non-profit/foundation and are currently working with a lawyer to set up a foundation.
Families CAN make a difference. But we need your help to do it.
Please check out the contribution levels and rewards to the right, and choose one the best fits you.
TAKE ACTION Contribute now and together we can help create a different future for families all over the world.
Rick and Leisa Olson
Here are a couple of the prints drawn by Rick that we will give as rewards.