Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Normal isn't your first language, is it?

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                           

business cards for the unemployed

 Help the homeless get the kind of help they need
  (+11, -6)
(+11, -6) 		  [vote for,
against]

Ever feel guilty trying to decide whether or not to give a quarter to a homeless person? They need help, but you don't know whether they'll use the money for food or drugs and booze. How about printing up business cards that say "The bearer of this card has donated $0.25 to a local homeless shelter. Please go take advantage of their generosity." And then there's an 800 number that the person can call to find out where the nearest homeless shelter is. Charities could print up boxes of these cards and sell them to guilty liberals like me. I'd definitely keep a handful in my wallet to give out instead of spare change.
—annautgoff, Jun 27 2000

Liquor for the Homeless http://www.halfbake...or_20the_20Homeless
Why *shouldn't* the homeless use your money to buy booze, anyway? [egnor, Jun 27 2000, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.
Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee
Destination URL. E.g., https://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)






       Er...What's half-baked about this idea? Seems like a very good idea to me!
—philosphus, Jun 27 2000
   

       Actually, there are homeless shelters that do this in some cities. You send in a donation and they send you tokens in the mail that entitles the bearer to a free meal, clothes, etc.
—paumk5, Jun 27 2000
   

       How about business cards for the homeless people themselves.   

       Bill Walters. Unemployed Bum.   

       It proves that they are legit bums, and so maybe you won't be as concerned that the bum you've contributed to doesn't have a posh home somewhere. They can be validated by the city or something.
—jeanlucp, Jun 30 2000
   

       That would be a licence rather than a business card. Not a bad idea though - particularly for buskers on the London underground. You'd have to pass a quality test before being granted a licence to busk. Licences to beg should be easy to get (but <rant> would be withdrawn if you then employ a small child to sit next to you to try and elicit people's sympathy </rant>).
—hippo, Jul 04 2000
   

       M:"My card."   

       N:"But its blank!"   

       M:"Business is bad."   

       -- from a Goon show.
—jetckalz, Jul 13 2000
   

       Sounds like a beurocratic approach to tackling symptoms of a much deeper problem. I put my vote to ideas that aim at the roots of the problem; the dehumanization of society, failing wellfare system, etc. just my two cents.
—mar, Jul 19 2000
   

       baked. in japan it is common for students to have business cards. (boy, they love their cards.) also, i am unemployed and i have cards. i love cards too.
—gnormal, Feb 16 2001
   

       i just came up with this idea myself. to bad someone else thought of it. but y isn't it being done?
—z038ie5, May 02 2008
   

       I had a card that read, "This man is a psycho. Do not talk to him. Walk away."
—wagster, May 02 2008
   

       I have always used cards when I am looking for work. It proves my professionalism, It makes me stand out from the crowd, and I always use a very attractive, professional type card. I hand the interviewer my personal card when I introduce myself and I make sure to attach two or three cards to my resume. It seems to work. I get plenty of return and second interviews and I have never been out of work for more than a few weeks...unless I have been loafing for a short "between" jobs vacation.   

       Since I have worked in the past as a job counselor and an interviewer, I know pretty much what prospective employers are looking for. I actaully enjoy interviews...so I'm pretty relaxed. I actually am "Interviewing" the interviewers....checking out how enthuisastic they are, what kind's of questions they are asking, how they dress, how they speak. I never go to work for a place that hires crappy interviewers. It shows they don't care who they hire and the place is probably a miserable place to work.
—Blisterbob, May 02 2008
   

       Sounds more like a Gift-Certificate thing, redeemable at a local shelter.   

       For a "business card" perhaps the actual business cards of local employment agencies
—FlyingToaster, May 03 2008
   

       The problem with this is that most street bums who beg are in that position because they have accountability issues. It's not likely that they are going to go to city hall to register themselves as a homeless person.   

       A similar concept was proposed in congress some time ago suggesting that people would be able to buy coupons in $1 & $5 denominations and they would be redeemable at any store that accepts food stamps.
—Jscotty, May 05 2008
   


 

back: main index
business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle