Gildi

At the beginning, I explored a more traditional model: a donation center where unsheltered individuals could register to receive notifications when resources were available. Soon, I identified a critical barrier: registration can feel stigmatizing or risky, and dignity is often the first filter for adoption. I then considered a system to connect donors with areas of high unsheltered population density to deliver kits directly, but that alternative introduced logistical friction and coordination issues. From those iterations, I defined the final approach: Gildi, a resource management and distribution system that closes the "intention gap," meaning the gap between wanting to help and ensuring that help reaches those in need.
In Gildi, a person can post a kit (a package assembled freely by the donor) by leaving it at a designated point (a safe location suggested by the system, or a point from an allied organization, always avoiding risks for unsheltered individuals and legal issues). Only one kit can be drop at one location, so if another donor already dropped a kit on a donor's preferred locations, that location sis going to be display on the system as unavailable.
Although the contents are free-form, each kit is labeled with a category to facilitate matching and system priorities: Hygiene, Food/Water, Medicine and Clothes.
To increase coverage without concentrating the community in one place, the system can rely on Little Pantries (API of drop-off points) to suggest additional locations. The intention is to create a variety of points and reduce the risk of an entire community "parking" around a single point waiting for donations.
When the kit becomes available, another person receives a notification to pick it up.
The central challenge remained constant throughout the process:
How do I verify an "invisible" population to the State without resorting to invasive tracking or bureaucratic barriers that generate fear or rejection?

In suburban areas like Katy, walking 15–20 minutes in the heat only to find that a kit is no longer available is not just frustrating: it's a real physical cost. In Gildi, two typical failures occur: Ghost kits: the kit was posted, but it is not physically at the designated point when the person arrives.
Ghost reservations: the kit is digitally locked because someone reserved it or confirmed it as 'on the way,' but does not complete the pickup (abandoning the route, not responding, or the timer expiring).
To reduce unnecessary walks and ensure that the inventory is reliable, I designed a Progressive Disclosure flow.
Principle: the exact location of the kit is not shown from the start. First, intent is confirmed, and then the detail is unlocked.
How it works:
Local visibility: when a donor posts a kit, the system notifies only people within a 2-mile radius (walkable distance). This keeps the information relevant and avoids 'noise' in the experience.
Commitment before detail: the recipient only sees a general area. The exact location is revealed when the person explicitly confirms they are on the way.
One route at a time: when someone confirms the route, the kit is temporarily removed from public view so that only one person is moving towards that resource.

Designing for the unsheltered population means acknowledging real conditions: limited battery, unstable signal, and intermittent data access. To avoid penalizing these limitations, I defined progressive verification rules that maintain system fairness without compromising inventory, without using location tracking.
Key rules (no GPS):
Route confirmation: when the person confirms "I'm on my way," the kit is temporarily removed from the map/public listing.
Ping 1 (15 min): the system sends an SMS asking, "Are you still on your way?" If the status shows as Not Delivered, the system assumes the phone is out of battery or signal and keeps the reservation.
Ping 2 (30 min): if the first ping was Delivered but there was no response, a second message is sent 15 minutes later.
Release (60 min): if both messages were Delivered and there is no response, at the 60-minute mark, the kit is automatically released and becomes available again.
Grace period (1 hour): if the first message was Not Delivered, the system grants a grace period of 1 hour. In this case, the release is postponed and occurs after the grace period (60 + 60 minutes) if there is no confirmation.
When the kit is relisted for someone else, a warning is displayed: "There is a kit available, but it may not be there."
Cooldown (fairness): when a kit is released due to ghosting (no pick-up confirmation), the progressive penalty defined in "Rules and Penalties" is applied.
Anti-abuse (reporting): if the person reports a "missing kit," the report requires a photo of the location to reduce false reports.
Privacy: no GPS is stored. The continuity of the route is validated only with SMS and the final confirmation.

The flow closure occurs at the time of collection. To keep the inventory clean and confirm that the kit actually arrived at its destination, I designed a simple and low-friction physical handshake.
How collection is validated:
Physical ID on the kit:each kit includes a code written on the bag.
Code generation: the code is generated in the app when the donor publishes the kit, and then the donor writes it on the bag.
Confirmation by the receiving person: upon arrival, the person enters that code in the app.
Status update: with that action, the kit is marked as Collected and removed from the available inventory.
Notification to the donor: the confirmation is reflected within the app to close the trust loop.
If the person arrives and the kit is not there:
The person can report the kit as missing from the flow.
If the person reports a ghost kit (the kit was not physically present), the system requests a photo of the location and applies rules to prevent abuse.
Penalties for the donor (progressive):
1st incident: warning + review of the donor's account/activity.
Reincidence: 7-day pause on publishing kits.
If ghosting is confirmed (reservation/confirmation without collection), the progressive penalty applies to the receiving person (see section "Rules and Penalties").
To prevent the receiving person from bearing the cost of physical effort, the system offers compensation: it increases the daily collection limit from 3 → 4 kits for that day.
This applies only if the person is verified, confirmed "on the way", arrived at the designated point, and reported that the kit was not physically present (ghost kit).

In cases of severe illness or restricted mobility the standard "Walk to a Kit" logic fails. A person who is sick or injured cannot navigate a 20-minute walk in the Katy heat.
The Solution: An emergency "Direct-Link" protocol that flips the logistical flow: the aid comes to the user.
The Receiver Side: When a user activates one of their 3 limited SOS beacons in 60 days, the system prioritizes their exact location.

• The Request: Unsheltered sends an SOS via SMS (e.g., SOS SICK).
• Static Location: The system asks for a precise reference (e.g., "Behind the blue dumpster on Mason Rd").
• The Promise: Unsheltered receives a confirmation: "SOS Active. Donors notified. Stay where you are; help is being dropped near your reference point."

Anonymous Proximity Drop: To maintain the core value of Anonymity, the system guides the donor to provide aid without a face-to-face encounter.

• Extreme Proximity Filter: The alert is only sent to donors within a 1–2 mile radius to ensure a response time under 30 minutes.
• The 5-Meter Rule: The donor is instructed to leave the "Sick Kit" (Electrolytes, soft food, analgesics) exactly 5 meters from the reference point.
• Outcome: The Unsheltered only has to move a few steps to reach the supplies, while both parties avoid the social pressure or stigma of a direct confrontation.

The Buddy System: This is the most innovative part of the system: The community protects its own.

• Peer Alerts: Nearby unsheltered neighbors also receive the SOS. They are often closer and more familiar with the "hidden" spots of Katy than donors are.
• The Incentive (Gamification for Good): To prevent hoarding, Gildi normally limits users to 3 kits per day. However, an unsheltered neighbor who fulfills 5 SOS request is rewarded, allowing them to collect 4 kits per day for the next three days.
• Impact: This transforms the "receiver" into a "provider," building a resilient, self-healing network.

What happens when the community network isn't enough? Or worse, what if a donor arrives and finds a life-threatening situation (e.g., the unsheltered is bleeding or unconscious)? Gildi is a logistics tool, not a medical service. We must provide a bridge to professional help while protecting the system from misuse.

The Donor's On-scene Assessment: When a donor or a "Buddy" (another unsheltered person) reaches the drop-off point and realizes the situation is graver than expected:

• The Post-Drop Inquiry: Immediately after tapping "Drop-off Complete," the app triggers a mandatory safety check: "Is the situation stable? Does the recipient need professional medical attention?"
• The 5-Meter Rule: The donor is instructed to leave the "Sick Kit" (Electrolytes, soft food, analgesics) exactly 5 meters from the reference point.
• The 911 Bridge: If the donor selects "Emergency / Life at Risk," Gildi displays a high-contrast warning screen: ⚠️ CRITICAL NOTICE: Dial 911 now. Please be aware that filing a false emergency report is a crime.

The Account Cooldown Logic: Why disable the account for 24 hours?

• Resource Focus: If a user is in a 911-level emergency, they should not be browsing for food kits or managing digital notifications.
• Deterrence: It prevents the SOS system from being used as a "fast-track" for non-emergencies, ensuring that 911 is only contacted when absolutely necessary.
• System Integrity: It allows Hope Impacts or Gildi administrators to review the incident and provide follow-up support to the parties involved.