The Social Capital Project
I have a lot of great stuff. Most of it I don’t need. I started The Social Capital Project to help me find homes for my stuff. I didn’t want my stuff to end up in a landfill, most of it is still awesome and not ready for the bin. I conceived of The Social Capital Project as a kind of “barter” system where I would offer up my stuff and in exchange the person receiving the item does something nice in their community to increase social capital.
How does it work? It’s very simple. I post an item up for grabs. You do something nice for someone or your community and comment about it under the item. Then you get the item. In short: You get free stuff. I give away my stuff. And the world gets to be a bit better. Yay!
What is social capital? It is the expected collective or economic benefits derived from the preferential treatment and cooperation between individuals and groups.
Why do nice things? It feels really good to help others in your community. That’s why sometimes I buy sandwiches or soup for homeless people who live in my community or feed stray cats. There are other people doing nice things in my community, like picking up garbage on our street, but while a handful of people find time to do these things – they remain just that – a handful of people.
Where did I get this idea? The Internet has a fabulous way of making us feel connected. I can skype with my friend living in Denver, I can plan a holiday with family in New Zealand via our Facebook group, and I can keep on top of current trends in my professional life via Twitter – unfortunately for me, I find that the Internet has also made us very disconnected from people living around us – our neighbours and our community. The Social Capital Project is a way to bring together those two desires: to use my social networks online to reward people for creating social capital that strengthens their communities in the real world.
How do you get your stuff? If you live in Toronto, we’ll connect. Note: Unfortunately, I cannot cover shipping costs. If you can’t arrange for someone else to pick up your item, I’ll get a shipping estimate and you can email transfer me funds to cover shipping via paypal. Any furnishings or large items must be picked up in person.
Other questions? Email me: jen.modica@gmail.com
Really great idea!
You’re doing a great job.
This is such a great idea…like John Lennon said “Imagine no possessions…”. We learn a lot about ourselves when we give.
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So simple! Wonderful! I think that I will introduce your blog/website to my daughter’s school. Maybe they can some up with a project like this to foster community harmony. Keep up the good work!