Using gift cards for social good?

Thanks Rachel. The only problem is the stigma often associated with homeless people. It would be a great goodwill effort if one company started the trend.

Thanks Rachel. The only problem is the stigma often associated with homeless people. It would be a great goodwill effort if one company started the trend.

Great idea Jeff! Companies could put it into their checkout process, so after you've purchased your card, it would say "Do you want to purchase a $5 card to give to someone needy? Check yes, and we'll send it to you!"

Great idea Jeff! Companies could put it into their checkout process, so after you've purchased your card, it would say "Do you want to purchase a $5 card to give to someone needy? Check yes, and we'll send it to you!"

Thanks Mike. Let me know if you need any help.

Thanks Mike. Let me know if you need any help.

I like this idea. I'm going to share this with a few others in person. Very interesting...

I like this idea. I'm going to share this with a few others in person. Very interesting...

Thanks for the feedback Cog. Interesting enough Disqus seems to be down so the threads will probably become sloppy.

I thought of those ideas as stumbling blocks and it is a shame that companies forget their human element. You know they want to be front and center when a disaster hits or when the camera is rolling. Maybe I am jaded being in the PR industry, but I remember a time when being a part of the community was something that all these shops were in tune with.

This was just a thought that I had today and am going to be more conscious about giving away the freebies to the fast food joints that I receive.

Thanks for the feedback Cog. Interesting enough Disqus seems to be down so the threads will probably become sloppy.

I thought of those ideas as stumbling blocks and it is a shame that companies forget their human element. You know they want to be front and center when a disaster hits or when the camera is rolling. Maybe I am jaded being in the PR industry, but I remember a time when being a part of the community was something that all these shops were in tune with.

This was just a thought that I had today and am going to be more conscious about giving away the freebies to the fast food joints that I receive.

Hey Jeff -

Good show man & great thought. I do the same when I win promo 'free burger' coupons and the like. I can manage to buy my own fastfood if there's a freebie it should definitely go to someone down on their luck.

And you do get a pat on the back (pat pat).

I think the problem the restaurants will have is (and I'm not saying it's proper, just what the problem will be) the 'paying' patrons won't want down on their luck folks in there sharing their space. Taken another way McD or DD won't want to become a refuge for the homeless taking up the space that could be used by paying patrons.

I imagine this was part of the reasons organizations like City Harvest (in NY) sprouted up - to take the food to shelters where it can be distributed centrally and any kind of social stigma (on one side) or 'fear' (on the other side) is removed.

I believe there are ways around this if the companies are interested in actually helping and grow a pair - open an hour early / stay open an hour later, in their own neighborhood hand out food (i.e. not in the rest), etc.

A number of years ago I actually did some work for a homeless organization - as you can probably guess it's not just a lack of money - a decent percentage of homeless individuals have a mental illness of some variety making daily life difficult which is how they ended up in the situation to begin with.

This would scare off a few companies and may make getting the people in the door, even if the companies did step up, a little more difficult.

Anyway, great thoughts and definitely worth pursuing, just a good number of potential obstacles to consider going in.

Hey Jeff -

Good show man & great thought. I do the same when I win promo 'free burger' coupons and the like. I can manage to buy my own fastfood if there's a freebie it should definitely go to someone down on their luck.

And you do get a pat on the back (pat pat).

I think the problem the restaurants will have is (and I'm not saying it's proper, just what the problem will be) the 'paying' patrons won't want down on their luck folks in there sharing their space. Taken another way McD or DD won't want to become a refuge for the homeless taking up the space that could be used by paying patrons.

I imagine this was part of the reasons organizations like City Harvest (in NY) sprouted up - to take the food to shelters where it can be distributed centrally and any kind of social stigma (on one side) or 'fear' (on the other side) is removed.

I believe there are ways around this if the companies are interested in actually helping and grow a pair - open an hour early / stay open an hour later, in their own neighborhood hand out food (i.e. not in the rest), etc.

A number of years ago I actually did some work for a homeless organization - as you can probably guess it's not just a lack of money - a decent percentage of homeless individuals have a mental illness of some variety making daily life difficult which is how they ended up in the situation to begin with.

This would scare off a few companies and may make getting the people in the door, even if the companies did step up, a little more difficult.

Anyway, great thoughts and definitely worth pursuing, just a good number of potential obstacles to consider going in.