The GiveWell Voucher

I get the tube a lot, I get the train a lot, I walk the streets a lot, and like everyone else I am tired of people asking me for money, a lot. Not because I don't want to give it to them, but because I feel powerless to do so. Our popular wisdom tells us the worst thing you can do for these guys is to give cash, we are constantly warned it will be injected, snorted, spent on Bad Things. And so we keep our £2.32 to ourselves when that guy comes on to the train begging for it, as he limps on crutches, with legs swollen, bloodied and bruised; we keep that worthless shrapnel to ourselves as he spiels on about the roof it would buy, the warm bath he would receive, the fresh of clothes. But if we knew otherwise, if we were guaranteed that the money given would actually be spent on shelter, that it would bring them out of the cold and wet, if we knew this, then how many would refuse? And so there becomes, indeed already exists, a set of people who want to help, who yearn to give aid, but refuse through distrust and jaded experience, people who sit side by side by those to distraught to deny, who give in blind faith and take the risk.

So here is my idea. Do you remember Luncheon Vouchers? Companies used to buy them for their staff and give each worker an allowance of say £5 per day. They could then go to wherever they wanted and buy lunch; cafes, McDonalds, plush restaurants, whoever was participating, they could spend this voucher. Well, what about a voucher for the homeless, a book-token for the down-and-outs?

The GiveWell Voucher is worth £1, and is sold in books of 5, 10, 20. These vouchers sold in various outlets, HMV, the body shop, post offices, charity shops, basically any shop that wants some good PR, and to be seen to be helping. Vouchers can be redeemed at various locations for their face value, ie:

• Shelter Hostels, Youth Hostels, these places that the guys tell us they just need an additional £3.20 to get in to.
• Participating food outlets; Subways, Pret, Benjy's, places that want to be seen to be helping the problem but don't want to get involved in just handing out freebies, or old food.
• The Big Issue; the money from big issues sold is used to buy more big issues to sell... What about using these vouchers to also buy copies of the big issue to sell.
• On the back of each voucher is a list of various ways it can be used, the outlets it can be redeemed in etc, thus reassuring the giver and informing the receiver.
  

We package the ability to give money, we create a way to give to these guys, on the street, in a helpful, constructive way, that cannot be used so readily pissed away, that gives the giver a sense of making a difference. In addition it raises the plight and visibility of the problem, generates PR for all those involved, and everyone feels just that tiny bit better about themselves... so make it happen.