*Content warning: This article mentions a traumatic, violent experience that happened to a minor. To skip the recounting of the traumatic event, please skip down to the second paragraph, after the ***.
Kyler’s Kicks
Kyler’s Story
At just 11 years old, Kyler Nipper developed severe PTSD, ODD, and depression after a traumatic event that almost took his life in 6th grade; a classmate at school was bullying him over his worn-out shoes and stabbed him in the chest with a pencil. With a punctured lung, Kyler required multiple intense surgeries and continuous mental health care.
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The medical bills and cost for Kyler’s therapy resulted in his family becoming homeless for some time. Staying in local shelters, Kyler suffered from severe panic attacks and nightmares. One night, after waking from a nightmare, he ended up coping with his trauma by handing out shoes to the homeless people outside of the center where he lived at the time.
Beginning the healing process for Kyler, this act inspired him to create Kyler’s Kicks in 2016, turning his pain into something positive. Starting this organization while still living in Colorado, he brought the concept with him when his family moved to Vegas in 2018. They became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit in July of 2019.
Shoes, Therapy, and More
Kyler started the organization by collecting and distributing shoes to those in need, later expanding to providing mental health resources and therapy to local teens at no cost. The organization also occasionally distributes shoes and other donations to their houseless neighbors who live around or pass by the lounge.
With a focus on shoes, the organizaton reports giving away over 50,000 pairs of shoes to people in need since the day Kyler almost lost his life over his shoes. While collecting shoes is still a priority, Kyler has taken things further to help people even more.
As the first and only free mental health lounge available for teens, the Kyler’s Kicks Lounge opened in October 2019 and now helps local youth by providing many free mental health therapy programs to all teens in the sixth through the 12th grade.
Since moving to their new community center off of Maryland Parkway and Carson Avenue in late 2020, they provide even more services and resources.
Shoe Giveaways
Kyler’s Kicks hands out shoes through multiple free public shoe giveaways scheduled throughout the year. They also have Shoe Closets set up at local schools and organizations around the valley, like Cortney Junior High School, Bailey Elementary School, and Whitney Elementary School.
Setting a Record
According to the organization’s website, Kyler’s Kicks is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the most shoes given away at one event.
“We’re going to be giving out all types of shoes, new and used,” he said.
Presently, there isn’t a record for this yet. Kyler not only wants to be the first to set that record by giving out 10,000 shoes at a single event, but he also wants to beat his record every year.
Once the organization finds a location to do the event, they will start working out the details for that. Until then, they have a room dedicated to holding all of their donated shoes waiting to hand out at this record-breaking event.
Per the website, Kyler’s Kicks wants to do this event in memory of Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, with which the organization has a long-standing relationship.
Kyler and Zappos have collaborated since 2018 after Steven Bautista, the ‘Zappos For Good’ Program Leader, learned about Kyler. Since then, Zappos donated 1,000 pairs of shoes to Kyler’s Christmas Shoe Drive in 2018 and donated $15,000 to their cause back in June of 2019. They also helped connect Kyler with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.
Kyler’s Kicks Programs
Kyler’s Kicks offers several outstanding programs that help teens manage their mental health and deal with trauma by providing various types of therapy to them and their parents for free, 24/7.
The different programs are all done in-person and are set up based on a schedule that varies from day to day to provide consistency for the youths. Each team member handles a different program.
“We have volunteer therapists who come in for various sessions,” Kyler said. “My mom also does neuro-linguistics therapy to teach the teens how to use words effectively.”
To register for a class, visit the bottom of this page. You can also schedule a tour of their community center on that page as well.
Presently, the organization facilitates all classes at the center. Though, Kyler shared that in the future, he’d like to start doing things outside of the facility, like taking the teens camping or on a field trip.
“We also bought a bus to turn into a food truck to bring food to the homeless,” he said. “We might also do something fun with it that the teens staying with us want to do, like starting a mobile podcast studio.”
Kyler’s Kicks also hands out 200 meals a week through a partnership with the restaurant ‘7th & Carson’. Every Wednesday and Thursday, 100 meals are prepared for the houseless community. In addition, they hand out hygiene products and other essentials during these days.
Classes and Therapy Sessions
The following descriptions for the various classes the organization offers are all directly quoted from their website.
Music Therapy
Kyler’s Kicks Music Therapy aims to help teens find confidence in themselves through music.
Teen Members learn to creatively articulate their thoughts through songwriting and express their feelings with musical instruments. Videography, audio, and video recording, as well as a DJ course, are also available at Kyler’s Kicks.
Art Therapy
During our Art Therapy, Kyler’s Kicks Lounge Teen Members use creative techniques to explore their emotions and increase their self-esteem.
Creating art is a very therapeutic process, which allows teens to reconcile inner conflicts positively.
Life Skills Therapy
Kyler’s Kicks Life Skills Therapy is packed full of knowledge.
To achieve positive mental health, our teens must attain the necessary skills to be successful in life. Therefore, Kyler’s Kicks Teen Members benefit from essential life skills, such as budgeting, finances, etiquette, sewing, car maintenance, hygiene, basic construction/ home maintenance, and much more during Life Skills Therapy.
Entrepreneur and Career Therapy
Kyler’s Kicks Lounge strives to create financial stability for each teen member before turning 21 years old.
Our teens will never be able to afford their necessities on a minimum wage paying job. Therefore, as a benefit of our Entrepreneurship Therapy, Teen Members design, create, and execute their own business plans.
Kyler’s Kicks also fundraises the start-up costs of each teen business. Additionally, through Career Therapy, we give Teen Members the opportunity to apply for schooling scholarships or enter many internships within our community.
Farm-to-Table Cooking and Nutrition Therapy
Without Kyler’s Kicks Lounge, most Kyler’s Kicks Teen Members are responsible for creating or finding their own meals daily.
Through our Farm-to-Table Cooking Therapy, Teen Members are encouraged to expand their creativity while providing nourishment for themselves, their peers, and our community. Sharing a delicious meal with others that our teens have created brings instant gratification and an immediate sense of accomplishment.
During Nutrition Therapy, Teen Members explore the benefits of nutritional foods for their body and mental health.
Horticulture Therapy
Gardening is a very beneficial and natural healing therapy. Thanks to the beneficial bacteria found in soil, it can also help to improve your immune system.
We encourage longer attention spans and healthy eating habits by providing Kyler’s Kicks Teen Members with a safe and positive space to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs for Kyler’s Kicks Kitchen.
Horticulture Therapy also creates an amazing feeling of self-accomplishment while reducing Cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone in your brain that experts have shown can be reduced through gardening.
Meditation and Natural Healing Therapy
Kyler’s Kicks Lounge places extra emphasis on natural healing for our teens.
Due to Medicaid and most insurance requiring teens to be placed on pharmaceuticals for an approved treatment plan for mental health services, 100% of our teen-inspired therapies are funded by donations from our community.
Through Kyler’s Kicks Meditation Therapy, Teen Members enhance their self-awareness while learning breathing techniques to relieve anxiety and stress. Massage Therapy benefits our Teen Members by releasing stress and tension and encouraging relaxation. In addition, Reiki healing, laughing therapy, healing stones, essential oils, and many more natural healing therapies are available for Kyler’s Kicks Teen Members.
Performing Arts Therapy
Magic is everywhere at Kyler’s Kicks Lounge.
Performing arts, magic, puppetry, and comedy all assist our Teen Members with overcoming trauma, anxiety, and depression. By encouraging real-life interactions through performing arts, our teens are given a safe space to share their emotions positively and creatively.
Recreational Therapy
Video games and technology are an everyday part of teens’ lives. Kyler’s Kicks Lounge embraces technology and educates teens to utilize technology in a positive manner.
Positive online presence is taught at all times at Kyler’s Kicks Lounge. Teen Members also have access to PG-13 and under movies, board games, a ping pong table, and a pool table.
The Recreational Therapy Area is a safe, fun, and free place for Kyler’s Kicks Lounge Teen Members to enjoy being teenagers.
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Other Programs
Parent/Guardian Support
We understand the immense stress parents/guardians endure while raising a teen with a mental health diagnosis. It’s impossible to raise a teen with a mental health diagnosis without first caring for your own mental health.
Parents/Guardians of Kyler’s Kicks Lounge Teen Members benefit from support groups, relaxation and coping skills, mental health education groups, and family resources for necessities or job training.
Community Involvement
Kyler founded Kyler’s Kicks on the concept of healing through giving. This healing through giving model is mimicked throughout Kyler’s Kicks Lounge as well. All Teen Members at Kyler’s Kicks Lounge are allowed to volunteer with Kyler’s Kicks.
Along with collecting, cleaning, and giving away shoes through Kyler’s Kicks, the teens also vote quarterly on a project to become involved within our community.
Kyler’s Kicks Teen Members are currently in the process of transforming their school bus into a free food truck to feed our community.
Upcoming Events and Weekly/Monthly Happenings
Kyler’s Kicks occasionally organizes fun events for teens and their families to come out to while raising money for its programs.
Back on July 24th, Kyler hosted the ‘Kyler’s Kick & Glowsticks’ event, where he invited people out for a “family-friendly glow-in-the-dark carnival.” For just a $5 entry fee, visitors got to play unlimited carnival games in the dark with glow sticks. Food and drinks were also available for additional donations.
With rising COVID-19 cases, Kyler’s Kicks doesn’t have any upcoming events scheduled at this time. However, Kyler mentioned that they do jam sessions on the porch of the community center every Thursday from 8-10 pm, which allows the kids to practice playing instruments and spread some happiness to the neighborhood.
Kyler’s Kicks – Challenges and Goals
Kyler shared the two biggest challenges the organization has faced over the past year – the pandemic and raising money.
With the shutdown, Kyler’s Kicks had to put a big stop to accepting physical donations and bringing volunteers into the facility. They also moved online for a few weeks during the pandemic, offering their therapy classes virtually to youths in need.
“We’ve worked really hard to keep everything moving and running successfully,” he said.
With donors losing their jobs, events being canceled, and everything else, the number of donations to the organization decreased. Kyler shared that finding ways to raise money has been especially difficult throughout the pandemic.
To make a monetary donation to Kyler’s Kicks, donate directly to their PayPal.
Kyler’s mother, Sherise Nipper, also shared that the city told them they weren’t allowed to hand out shoes anymore during the pandemic, citing COVID concerns. Apparently, under Nevada law, shoes are not considered essential items and cannot be donated.
Nipper said that the organization is in the process of filing paperwork to reclassify shoes as essential products. They’re looking at getting the initiative into the state’s next legislative session.
Kyler then shared his vision for the organization’s future.
“Our goal is to help as many people as possible,” Kyler said. “We also hope to one day expand to other cities with high homeless youth populations, like L.A.”
Kyler concluded by sharing that his favorite part about his work is making a difference in people’s lives.
“I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason,” he said. “And that the community is amazing.”
#GetinMotion with Kyler’s Kicks
With the extent of programs and resources that Kyler’s Kicks offers the community, they always need help to keep things running smoothly.
Donate
There are many ways to support this amazing organization. However, donating funds directly through PayPal is the most impactful.
In addition, the organization always appreciates donations of shoes and other items, especially food, drinks, hygiene supplies, and art supplies. Kyler added that pop tarts are a favorite among the youths living at the community center.
View other requested items at the bottom of this page on their website. You can also buy things they need through their Amazon Wishlist and help them further by making Kyler’s Kicks your chosen charity for Amazon Smile.
Bring donations to the Kyler’s Kick’s drop-off location at Neilsen’s Frozen Custard at 9480 South Eastern Avenue 100, Las Vegas, NV 89123.
To drop off donations to the organization directly, contact them to schedule a drop-off by emailing Kylerskicks@gmail.com or by calling 702-337-3170. Mail donations to Kyler’s Kicks, 214 South Maryland Parkway Las Vegas, 89101.
Clothing donations are NOT accepted at this time.
Support on Kyler’s Kicks Social Media
Follow Kyler’s Kicks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the organization’s latest news, updates, and events. Sharing their page and posts helps them reach more people and get more help when needed.
Volunteer with Kyler’s Kicks
Lastly, another way to help the organization is by volunteering with the organization or becoming a teen mentor. With so many opportunities offered, they always need volunteers to hang out with the teens, help the organization set up for events, and run the facility itself.
If you have knowledge or experience relating to any of the therapies or work that the organization does and you want to volunteer or mentor with them, fill out the respective application at the bottom of their ‘Change the World With Us’ page.
Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and pass a background check before volunteering or mentoring.
Get in Motion with Kyler’s Kicks today!
