Look for the Helpers

Inspiration

Middle of the day, there's a guy wandering around outside the block of flats, trying to find where he should be delivering medications, because sat-nav's trying to direct him into a sheep. No one's outside to ask (which, you know, good!) and so we end up with a shouted conversation out the window to give directions, and only because we happened to be looking out, trying to remember when we last saw sunshine.

None of that is earth-shatteringly unsurmountable, or needs an app - a quick phone call would have probably done the trick, let's be a honest.

But, it made us think, if there was an app, and if it let people add requests and offers and then allow multiple people - probably strangers - to come together to help with a given issue easily and mostly automagically, that could be pretty cool, right?

What it does

Let people add requests and offers and then allow multiple people - probably strangers - to come together to help with a given issue easily and mostly automagically.

Pretty cool, right?

Okay, fine, it's not automagic, it's just fairly simple category matching with a bit of weighting chucked in, set up to only show items within your given range: a driver might have a 10 mile range, a dog walker maybe not.

So, maybe you have bulk food that's about to expire, but nowhere and no way to deliver it? Chances are there's someone with a van, and someone else who could use 20 boxes of eggs for ... some reason.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful omelette...

How we built it

In two days, on React and DRF, trying to keep swearing down to a minimum and under at least one cat at all times.

Challenges we ran into

React, DRF, and a two-day timebox. The cats were pretty cool about the whole thing.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I mean, there's a proof of concept if you squint a little, right?

What we learned

We have an understanding other half, and the cats get surprisingly heavy. And that React's kind of fun - who knew?

What's next for Look for the Helpers

Perhaps it will spark a few ideas - that would be the best outcome. If not, no code is wasted code, and I like to think the sentiments that inspired the name are pretty universal too:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world." - Mr Rogers

Built With

• drf
• react