I’m tired. Tired of robotic pleases and thank yous. Tired of people not holding doors for each other. Tired of ignoring one another, especially those in need. We’re better than this.
I want to foster a culture that celebrates giving & helping, and inspires people to be generous & compassionate. I believe technology and a hearty helping of giving-a-shit can create a world that we aren’t yet capable of comprehending. That’s a big challenge and not something that is going to happen overnight. It’s going to take time, it’s going to take commitment.
For the past year, I’ve been working on a project based on these beliefs. The project, give3.org, is a bootstrapped nonprofit/startup. We’re creating a marketplace for people to trade used goods in exchange for volunteer service and charitable donations - recycling & repurposing items while inspiring people to help others and their communities.
While developing the idea, I offered a guy my old wireless router in exchange for his participation in some community service. He hadn’t done any type of service since he was a kid but he said he’d be willing to give it another shot. We met at a local soup kitchen, served 300 people lunch, I gave him the router and we said our goodbyes. A very successful trade in my book.
A few weeks later I received a message from the guy. He was so moved by the service we did that he had started making egg salad sandwiches for the homeless people around his building. He even invited some of the regulars up for a shower and fresh clothes. That’s when I knew we were changing the world.
*This was originally published to tumblr on 10/8/12.