We have all experienced a sense of helplessness when confronted with the issue of homelessness. When we see someone on the street, we want to do something, but we don’t know how to help in a meaningful way. We all know how much easier it is to plug in our headphones, look down at our smartphones, and tune the people who need our help out of existence.
Inspired by this dilemma, we created Hakook, a mobile app that allows users to tackle poverty as a community.
It works like this:
1) You see someone on the street asking for food, ask the person what they’d like, and drop a pin at their location indicating their need.
2) Another community member is leaving an event with an extra sandwich and can see nearby pins to give someone a meal.
By allowing anyone to make a difference simply by dropping or completing a pin, Hakook empowers users to tackle this feeling of helplessness through their social network.
Hakook has two primary goals:
First and foremost, to support people experiencing homelessness in New York by facilitating requests for food, drink, and clothing from the communities they live in.
Secondly, one of the biggest challenges in dealing with homelessness is the stigma and perceptions that many people have towards people without homes. Hakook helps users take the first step towards initiating meaningful conversations with people experiencing homelessness. We believe that these engagements can help break down boundaries and spark necessary discussions about how to actually end homelessness.
Ultimately, Hakook will create a powerful community of people who are all dedicated to looking out for one another.
Disclaimer:
Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.