March 28, 2024

Using Amazon Prime to Help Those in Need




By Patrick Allan / 12.15.2017


You probably see it all the time: someone sitting alone out in the cold, holding a sign with a scribbled plea for help on it. Well, even if you don’t carry cash anymore, or have time to run to a nearby store, you might still be able to help them with this clever act of kindness.

Amazon Prime Now lets Amazon Prime subscribers in certain areas order and receive items within two hours. I once ordered a keyboard with the service and got it in 45 minutes. It’s pretty incredible for getting the things you need fast, but YouTuber Rob Bliss thought of a much more selfless way to use it. Instead of buying things for himself, Bliss started ordering things for homeless people he came across on the street. It’s quick, simple, and it actually gets people the stuff they need to keep on keepin’ on. You can see how it all plays out in the video above.

If you want to give this act of kindness a try, you’ll need to note a few things first:

  • The person’s name.
  • The closest address to where they’ll be.
  • What the person needs.

Once you have that information, you can put in a quick order as you continue on with your day. Just make sure you let the person know that something is on the way so they don’t leave, and give the courier a note that explains who to give the package to. For his experiments, Bliss writes a message that says something like:

Oh, and don’t forget to tip your couriers! Keep in mind, for this type of thing to work you need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber, and have Amazon Prime Now available in your area. Also, it’s worth nothing that this may only work well in dense metropolitan areas where there are more couriers out and about on a given day. Still, the next time you see someone in need, consider giving this a shot. You might make someone’s day infinitely better.


Originally published by LifeHacker under a Creative Commons license from Gawker Media.