1. One Today
One dollar can make a big difference. If you give a dollar to a different cause each day, you can help change the world. That’s the premise behind One Today, a Google app that asks users to give just one dollar to a good cause. It presents a different project every day with the selection tailored to fit the interests of the user. Do you care more about feeding the hungry, helping the poor, spreading education to young people in need, or investing in good health? Regardless, a cause is bound to show up each day that catches your interest. You can also donate money that other people can allocate to causes or challenge friends to match your financial generosity.
2. HTC Power to Give
HTC Power To Give doesn’t ask you to donate your money. Instead it wants you to offer up your phone. Don’t worry, you don’t have to say goodbye. Just let the app run in the background while your phone is otherwise asleep. It will take the spare processing power and use it to contribute to a project of your choice. The combined processing power of everyone’s devices can help to discover cures to life-threatening diseases, venture out into space, or help understand the world in which we live and the atmospheric forces that surround it. You don’t even have to sacrifice battery life to help out, as the app only runs when your device is plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi.
3. Blood Donor
Hospitals and clinics have a constant need for blood, and they depend on donors to supply them with enough to meet the demand. If you live in the US, Blood Donor is an app that can assist you in doing your part to help. It can pull up the nearest blood drives and give you the right directions to get there. You can use the app to keep track of your donation history, take a picture of yourself giving blood, and share the image with friends or family to encourage them to step up.
4. PetMatch
Okay, with PetMatch you aren’t actually giving anything to anyone. You’re giving an animal a home. Considering how many are left to survive in over-crowded shelters, this is still a public service. PetMatch can help you find cats or dogs to adopt and set you up with the right agencies. You can hone in on your preferences by taking a picture of an animal that you love and allowing the app to search for similar recommendations. If you don’t have a picture, there’s a sample gallery that can fulfill the same role.
Conclusion
With the right apps we can prove that smartphones do make the world a better place. They don’t just amuse us and keep everyone connected at all times; they offer up the chance to reach out and make a genuine difference. The four apps above can help whether you want to give money, blood, processing power, or shelter. The important thing is that we all give something in whatever way we can.
