Sunday, 7 January 2018

Using Amazon Prime to Help the Homeless

quote [ We’ve all passed by homeless people in the street and wondered if there was anything we could do to help them, but what if helping them was as simple as pulling out our smart phone and punching a few buttons? ]

I really like this idea, although I changed the title from "Hacking Amazon Prime..." to "Using Amazon Prime..." since the word, "hacking," is overuse and miss-used way too often. Also, we could use more positive SE posts.

I like the idea of making the barrier to giving as low as possible. This article almost made me give in and get a damned Prime subscription. Instead, I just keep an extra $20 bill folded up in the back of my wallet for whenever I see someone in need. By pre-designating that money, it makes it easy to give away. If I lived in a big urban area, I'd quickly be broke, but as is, it only happens now and then.

In college, I had a friend who kept fresh fruit and canned goods in his car to give away. Later when he was living without a vehicle in Baltimore, he'd usually carry a few apples or oranges to give.

It's definitely not following the philosophy of Effective Altruism, but it helps assuage my middle class white male privilege guilt.

https://www.effectivealtruism.org/

(Edit)
I just found these on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Grocery-Tote-Large-Pack/dp/B003B6478Q/ref=sr_1_17?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1515355890&sr=1-17&keywords=shopping+bags+reusableI'm thinking about buying a set and filling them with non-perishable goods, each one a mini-survival pack with food, soap, socks, gloves, aspirin, etc. I know several SEers have spent some time on the streets. What would you most want to be handed by a random stranger? Or am I being stupid and should just stick to cold, hard cash?

[SFW] [people] [+5]
[by midden]
<-- Entry / Comment History

hellboy said @ 11:50pm GMT on 7th January
Heh. My dog might love a kayak trip, but I'd have to make her wear a lifejacket and keep her tethered, she's not as strong a swimmer as she'd like to think.

(My dog is serving pretty much the same mental health purpose as your cat these days.)


hellboy said @ 11:51pm GMT on 7th January
Heh. My dog might love a kayak trip, but I'd have to make her wear a lifejacket and keep her tethered, she's not as strong a swimmer as she'd like to think.

(My dog is serving pretty much the same mental health purpose as your cat these days. Well, that and the fact that I'm probably a bit too much of an extravert to be happy alone in the woods for too long.)



<-- Entry / Current Comment
hellboy said @ 11:50pm GMT on 7th January
Heh. My dog might love a kayak trip, but I'd have to make her wear a lifejacket and keep her tethered, she's not as strong a swimmer as she'd like to think.

(My dog is serving pretty much the same mental health purpose as your cat these days. Well, that and the fact that I'm probably a bit too much of an extravert to be happy alone in the woods for too long.)




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