A community-driven response to our shared vulnerability
About S.O.S. / info@soszip.com

HOW IT WORKS:

• Post a need

For general needs, if you're feeling unwell, or cannot risk exposure, post a virtual S.O.S. signal that instantly notifies all current users in your zipcode by email. Your S.O.S. announcement stays active until you delete it. When someone offers help, you have control to accept, decline, or request more information from them. Only the offers you accept will be able to see your private contact info.

• Offer to help

You can create a post to offer specific aide, such as extra supplies, or to announce when you're available for an errand run. You can also respond directly to neighbors' requests for help. You'll also start to receive notifications about posts within your zipcode.

This tool works best when more people are actively using it.
Please spread the word in your local neighborhood so everyone can benefit from this peer-to-peer support system. People who are older and people with underlying health issues may need outreach efforts to become aware of this tool. Flyers are available to print and distribute.

Social distancing shouldn't mean social isolation.
We must come together to effectively respond to our shared vulnerability now and in the future. This tool aligns with other emergency initiatives and offers a platform for neighbors to organize immediate response efforts to COVID-19.

PHILOSOPHY & FUTURE BEYOND COVID-19:

This tool allows strangers’ needs to permeate our boundaries and interfere with our daily routines. We normally exist in isolated silos in which kin is defined as family members and a few close friends. Consequently, we are largely unresponsive to the suffering, needs, and desires of those living above, below, and separate from us by a thin wall. The tool allows an opt-in group to suddenly become aware of the needs surrounding their proximity and reconcile their own ability to accept or decline an incoming request for care. Although this service uses technology at its nexus, technology does not replace human care, and instead functions as a vehicle for connecting people through offline action. COVID-19 has provoked awareness of our shared vulnerability, but we need to carry this awareness into the future.