This is worth a listen on NPR. The story comes from Washington, D.C. A non-profit organization reaches out to people with medical issues and connects them with various organizations to help with food, housing, and transportation needs – all problems that exacerbate their health issues. In every city, there are many non-profits organized around specific niches. In Tucson, I know of three different organizations that specialize in driving seniors or the disabled to doctors appointments! But, we need more ways to assist people in finding those services that can help them get healthy and back on their feet. Increasingly, we see technology that connects people to niche services – an app that will deliver free range meat to your house or a site that allows you to farm out mundane tasks for $5. These kinds of technologies should not exist only for the urban 20-something. For those that don’t live life connected to an iphone, there must be a way to connect people who need assistance to a one-stop shop where they can be matched to organizations or volunteers that can help with their needs. There are more organizations than ever dedicated to providing social services for those who have fallen through the cracks of the government system. The supply side is plentiful – now it’s time to work on the demand.
