The Long Term Vision of the Gift Card Project
The French poet Victor Hugo once acclaimed, “No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.” At its core the Gift Card Project is just that: an idea about how best to help the homeless. Below I outline how GCP plans to make our idea a nationwide reality.
Stage One — 2026:
Stage One involves raising awareness among U.S. citizens about the GCP approach to helping the homeless by means of a long-term and aggressive advertising strategy. Our hope is to create an army of private citizens who help the homeless in their own communities throughout the U.S. in two ways:
- No one calls their U.S. Senator when reporting a fallen utility pole. People in need are more efficiently and effectively helped by those on the local level. Want to help the homeless? The Gift Card Project proposes that you carry with you at all times $5 or $10 gift cards to local fast-food restaurants and be on the lookout for the homeless in your neighborhood.
- Practical assistance without emotional support goes only so far. Many models of charity (non-profits that accept donations or church food pantries asking for canned goods) insulate the helper from the helped. The GCP brings one face to face with the person being helped by means of a donation and a kind conversation aimed at reminding the person that their dignity is not depleted because of their current state.
Stage Two — 2030:
The long-term and ultimate goal of the Gift Card Project is to offer the homeless not only gift cards to fast-food restaurants, but also gift card vouchers that give the homeless access to our nationwide vending machines filled with basic goods like food, blankets, toiletries, pre-paid cell phones, etc.
