By: John Vibes,
Recently, I have been looking into various efforts that people have been taking around the world to improve the situations of those who don’t have anywhere to live. In my research, I learned about a new smartphone application that takes away a lot of the concerns that people have about donating to others who are down on their luck.
Because of the fact that there are so many generous people in the world, there are unfortunately a lot of hustlers out there also. Over the years, many people have been discouraged from giving to the needy because of the many scam artists who pretend to be poor so they can take advantage of the generosity of others.
The new HandUp app eliminates those concerns by ensuring the donor that their donation will actually go towards helping a homeless person get back on their feet.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9PSGHg2Vl0]
The people who sign up to receive money through HandUp will be required to use that money for specific needs. This would include things like rent, security deposits, food or health bills.
Instead of asking for spare change on the street, homeless members of the program will give people a card, which will have information about HandUp and a link to their specific profile on the HandUp Page. Through this profile, potential donors will be able to see the kind of progress that their new acquaintance has already made while enrolled in the program.
The Wall Street Journal reported that, “homeless advocates, or case managers who work in shelters, post profiles on HandUp.us on behalf of the homeless, accept donations via HandUp, then ensure the money is spent on what that person said he or she needed.”
The founders of the project hope that in addition to helping millions find homes, that their company will become successful and lucrative. The labor and technology involved with running the service will be paid for through voluntary donations that the user is allowed to “opt-out” of at the time of donation, this will also be how they generate revenue.
Aside from those separate donations, 100% of the money that comes in through this organization will go directly to homeless people who are working to find homes and jobs. What this means is that Handup is basically a for-profit company that could potentially create more change than any government organization could have ever hoped to create.
The company is currently based in San Francisco, but is planning to expand across the country. Representatives are asking people who want this service in their city to fill out a Partner Interest Form.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iIh5YYDR2o]
Please Share this amazing idea with your friends and family.
