Project Statement, Problem Solution and Hub Activities

Shaper Hands provided safe, free deliveries to at-risk and quarantined members of the community during the early days of the pandemic. This project was brought together quickly by various memebers of the Hub to meet this urgent need in our city. The LA hub helped other Hubs launch Shaper Hands in their local communities in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Orange County, New York City, and Seattle.

This project mobilized a group of engaged volunteers in each region to bring groceries and essential supplies to individuals within the community. We also connected volunteers with partner organizations, which led to us helping deliver to 200 people (60 families) in LA, and to provide ongoing volunteer support to Homeless HealthCare LA.

As covered by NBC: "In mid-April, Shaper Hands partnered with the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging to deliver groceries, medications and other necessities to seniors in Seattle and Los Angeles. Instead of navigating the web, customers can place a phone order and pay through the aging center’s helpline, whose operators are fluent in multiple Asian languages and who will relay the request to a Shaper Hands volunteer. (Lyft has become a third partner, offering free rides to volunteers delivering to the center’s clients.)"

Project Goal

The goal of this project was to quickly and effectively respond to a growing need for community support during the early days of pandemic quarantines in 2020. It grew from a local effort to a multi-state collaboration that was able to serve the most vulnerable in our communities with compassion and speed. The project was a success.

Available Metrics

217 volunteers made 194 deliveries across 5 cities. A digitized system and workflow was built by the LA Hub to manage these volunteers and match them to incoming requests from community members. Since the launch on March 20, the website has serviced around 10,000 total requests across all forms and 12,800 page views. 

Collaborators

We secured in-kind partnerships and support from ABC News, Lyft, WeWork, Zapier, Slack, Squarespace, Weglot, Homeless Health Care Los Angeles, NAPCA, and FEAST.