This post is a response to a question found in SteemUSA' first post
My Selfish Reason
First off I want to be honest upfront. I’m entering this competition or rather contest because I do want to win the delegation. Plain and simple.
Let me tell you why I do want to win.
I started this initiative called #freewrite and I want to be able to give some juicy upvotes to each and everyone who writes with us. Ideally, every single day!
Right now, being not even a minnow- but an ever so lowly redfish as I just recently learned, my voting power is very limited. And very is not an understatement at all.
SteemUSA
OK, my selfish reasons out of the way, why do I think that SteemUSA is a great idea.? And what can we do with a presence like this group is promising to be?
First, I want to be very clear that I believe that people all over, no matter where they are from, what they look like or what they believe in, are equally amazing- and sometimes equally not so.
That said, I don’t see SteemUSA as an expression of being better than anyone else. I simply see it as a place to come together for people who live in the same area. In our case, we all live or are from a very large country and have the same type of daily realities.
We have the same political structure and the same economic system, even so, it does vary a bit from state to state. Overall, our reality as US residents is different from that of a person living in a different country.
Coming together allows us to discuss and explore issues which might be not that interesting to people who live in a very different reality.
Let me give an example. Homeschooling has become quite popular in the United States and many families are now choosing that option. In many countries, that is a non-issue because it is illegal and if people were to try to homeschool they end up in jail.
Homeschooling is a topic that is not internationally interesting but might be a topic SteemUSA members are wanting to explore.
Further Reach
The real power of having a more regional group is that the ideas and events birthed in this online world can be taken into the real world. Regional groups who meet and support each other in real life can and will form. That is one of the natural extensions of creating a strong bond and that is something I have seen already happening in other country or region-specific groups.
The real potential and power I see for a group like SteemUSA are to make a profound difference in peoples lives. I know that the idea of charity has been mentioned in the prompt to this contest. And I think charities are great and have a place in the world.
But the real potential I see in this group is that of empowerment. To empower people to earn a living with their own work and not have to rely on charity to get their needs met.
Homeless
In the City of San Diego, we have at least 5000 homeless people living on the street, in tents under the freeway bridges or under a bush in the park. Some are lucky to have a car as their home. There are countless numbers of others who are homeless but can find a couch or a tent in a friends backyard to sleep at night and are not included in the count.
Lately, there has been an outbreak of hepatitis among the homeless population and at least 20 people have died.
Charities are doing their best to provide shelter and food but the cities have reacted to the health crisis by making it illegal to give food to a homeless person and have kicked them off the street. To go where? I ask myself.
Recently, I talked to a homeless man who spends most of his time in a park in my small city right next to San Diego. This is what he told me:
- He gets a government check every month for $ 900.
- The cheapest apartment cost over $1000.
- A room cost at least $700 and he hasn't found one where he can bring his dog.
- He lives in his car so he can buy food and also keep his dog.
- He doesn't take drugs.
- He has a computer.
See where I am going with this. If with support from SteemUSA this man can earn - let's say $500 a month, he could rent an apartment and not be on the street anymore.
Support Creation of Business
The same is true for the young mom with several small children I just saw begging at the exit of Costco. As a matter of fact, I see more and more people begging along the road who do not fit what we consider the "typical" profile of a homeless person.
With that, without casting a judgment, I mean the person struggling with mental health issues or substance addiction who really need to be in a treatment or other supportive facility. A place in one of those is hard to come by. I actually could see SteemUSA make a difference in that arena as well - but maybe not now. Next year, when the group has grown and found it's superpowers.
Back to the young mom. And the many homeless teenagers.
Besides using the platform as their social media outlet and earning money that way, I see a huge potential for SteemUSA to support the creation of microbusinesses.
For example, someone might make hemp bracelets. Or earrings or other jewelry. Or have a gift for drawing.
They could use this platform to sell their product directly to other Steemians and begin to earn a living. Members of SteemUSA can be business coaches and/or customers if they wish.
More powerful even is to find providers who already work with, let's say, the homeless teens. For example, I know the librarian who works in the San Diego downtown library whose job it is to work with homeless teen girls.
Do you see where I am going? The librarian can learn about this platform and can get advice from SteemUSA members. She can teach the girls how to maneuver on the platform. The library has computers, 3D-Printers, and many other resources the girls can use for free.
Because this is a regional group - USA - it is possible to produce items and ship them. That would not be so easy, speak affordable, to build internationally.
This is one example of what a group like SteemUSA can do to absolutely change a person's life.
Of course, there are so many other ways to use the power of a regional group.
Back to the Freewrite
And now, I want to tell you a little more about the Freewrite.
Today was day 28 of a daily writing prompt inviting people to write for 5 minutes without stopping. Editing can come later and the freewrite can be turned into a post - or just published as a comment.
What does that do for the community?
- It encourages people to log into the platform every day.
- If people can't think of a topic - they got one in the prompt.
- Daily practice leads to better writers.
- If shuts down the inner critic and allows people to tap into their creativity. Result: Better posts.
- A daily post is at least started. Most freewriters polish their posts and publish them.
- Freewriters can earn on their post.
- Freewriters read and comment on each other's work. This encourages people to stay on the platform.
- Friendships are formed and a community is built.
Last week, I tallied the posts and 39 people posted at least once during that week.
28 posted more often.
95 freewrites were written. About 85 became a post, the rest posted as a comment to the prompt.
As of this morning, 65 people have participated at least once in the Freewrite. Some have written every day.
The participation has been way beyond my expectations and I think that is great! And I would love to be able to give some upvote love to every single freewrite and every comment as well.
Go SteemUSA!!
The image is a photo I took from a drawing I bought from a young man for $ 7.50. He had made a bunch to sell at a gathering to be able to cover his expenses. He rode his bicycle to the gathering - from another State.
My recent posts
Joel Salatin - Interview and Blog Post
Silver-Freewrite prompt: Bubbling
A Good Day to Go to the Market - It's Market Friday
Day 22 Freewrite - Prompt: itching
Joel Salatin - Farmer-Author-Speaker
