Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Spark With 'A Good Night Sleep'



Jennifer Kenning is busy.  By day she manages the wealth of some of highest net worth individuals around the country.  By night she helps some of the poorest have a place to rest.  Jennifer is the founder and CEO of “A Good Night Sleep,” a 501 c(3) non-profit that provides new beds and bedding for individuals and families making the transition from homelessness to permanent housing.  Her goal for 2011 is to raise half a million dollars and put more than 600 new beds in the hands of those who have never had one.  But, according to Jennifer, “Without Sparks, it might have been just a good idea.”

Inspiration can strike at any moment.  That moment came for Jennifer while watching “The Blindside” in theaters November of 2009.  “When I left the theater, I couldn’t decide if I was more disturbed that there were people who had never slept in a bed, or that I had never been thankful for my own.  I had known for a while that I was supposed to be making a difference in the world for people other than my clients, I just really didn’t know how or what.  Finally, I felt like God was saying, ‘You can do something about this.’”

How exactly did Sparks help Jennifer make her dream a reality? “I took on forming the corporation and all the legal paperwork, as well as meeting with the largest homeless organizations in LA in weeks two and three. When you look at anything worth doing, it always seems overwhelming at first.  I made it through focusing on just one thing at a time.  Sparks was the perfect outlet for me to get this idea out of my head and into action,” Jennifer says.

Jennifer’s advice to anyone looking to do something similar? “Find the people who can help you make it happen, and do one thing at a time.  Don’t worry if it seems like too much in the beginning.  It always does.” 

There are a lot of good ideas in the world.  We’re thankful Jennifer took the risk to make hers a reality.  Spark on.

To connect with Jennifer or find out more about “A Good Night Sleep,” email her at jkenning@agnsfoundation.org or visit www.agnsfoundation.org.

David is a Sparks Consultant, musician, writer, beard-grower, and male nurse extraordinaire about to finish a Master's degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Seminary.  He and his wife Brittany live in the Eagle Rock district of Los Angeles where they are currently trying to learn urban farming.  He is also self-conscious about the fact the he has neither a blog, nor a website.

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