Charis

Charish turns volunteer hours into restaurant rewards. Show up, get scanned, get a coupon — a three-way win for volunteers, organizations, and local restaurants.

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Inspiration

Volunteers give up their time and get a "thanks for coming" email. Restaurants want to support their community but have no easy way. We wanted to turn gratitude into something real that flows between both.

What is Charish?

A volunteer rewards platform that connects three groups in one loop: volunteers, community organizations, and local restaurants.

How it works:

  1. Volunteers browse events and apply with a tap.
  2. Organizations approve them, and the system generates a QR-coded ticket.
  3. At the event, the organization scans the QR to check the volunteer in.
  4. A restaurant discount coupon is instantly issued as a thank-you. No spreadsheets, no manual work. Show up, get scanned, get rewarded.

How it relates to gratitude

Gratitude is usually just a feeling. Charish makes it a system. The moment a volunteer is checked in, the platform thanks them with something they can actually use — a discount from a local restaurant in the same community they just helped. Value stays local and circulates.

How we built it

  • Frontend: Vue 3 + TypeScript + Vite
  • Backend: Python + Flask, deployed via Docker
  • Database: PostgreSQL on AWS RDS
  • Hosting: AWS App Runner + ECR
  • QR generation: AWS Lambda + API Gateway

What we're proud of

  • A complete end-to-end loop built in one weekend.
  • Full AWS-native stack — RDS, ECR, Lambda, API Gateway, all working together.
  • Dietary preferences are honored automatically, so rewards actually fit the person.

What's next

  • Authentication and role-based access
  • Restaurant coupon redemption flow
  • Email/SMS notifications
  • Search and filters for events
  • Multi-language support
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