We recently teamed up with Cleveland Scene for an unconventional clothing drive. Rather than burning beautiful, barely-worn LeBron Cavs jerseys in front of Quicken Loans Arena, we encouraged former LBJ fans to help clothes Miami's homeless by donating their unwanted NBA gear.
As a result, about a hundred down-on-their-luck guys and gals can be seen sporting the number 23 near bridges, street corners, and soup kitchens around Miami. But the city's homeless population needs more than jerseys and sweet NBA wristbands, they need cell phone apps.
Many of the folks we encountered on the street had mobile phones, some even better than our staffers. We brainstormed and came up with a few homeless-friendly, hypothetical phone apps to make living on the streets a little easier.
Dumpster Diva; Lifestyle
This app offers the latest tips in DIY fashion and accessories. It locates the best trash chutes for designer duds and features step-by-step directions on how to turn pizza boxes into fashionable pocket books. One mans trash is another mans treasure, right?
Cardboard Life; Lifestyle
Cardboard homes need renovation too. This architectural app rates the best boxes for homeless home improvement and profiles some creative digs from around major metropolitan areas.
Hobo Stew; Cooking
Americans waste ridiculous amounts of food on a daily basis, but knowing where to find a fat man's trash bag can feed several hungry people. Hobo Stew offers recipes in which the made ingredient is scrap, but the end result is delish.
Squattersquare; Social Networking
This app lets you check into various abandoned buildings and update friends on available squatting spots. Find out where to find warm meals and clean clothes by enabling the shelter updates feature.
HDate; Dating
It's hard to find a meaningful relationship on the street, but HDate--which is strictly restricted to homeless people--matches users based on similar interests and proximity. Learn about fun, free dates and share success stories with other users.
