What is your purpose? That is the question Bill Walsh, president of the Purposity Foundation, asked himself. 

He wrote a purpose statement to put in writing where he wanted to go in life. Where he went led him to St. Clair County on a mission to help the community. 

“Purposity comes from the core belief that humanity finds purpose through generosity,” according to their website. At the regular meeting of the Pell City Kiwanis Club on Aug. 3, Walsh explained the process of Purposity and how the local community can get involved.

“We make it easy. If you have two minutes, you can help someone in need,” Walsh said. Volunteers willing to help in the community register at www.purposity.com with their phone number and zip code. Once verified, registered users will receive once-weekly text messages about needs in their area and are given a link to purchase the item on Amazon. The item will be shipped usually within two days directly to the social worker or school involved in order to protect the anonymity of those in need.

All needs are vetted through local nonprofit organizations, social workers, and school systems. “School systems and nonprofits in local communities let us know needs in their area. We spread the word to individuals near them who are willing to help. They click a link, see the need, and make a difference for someone near them. It may be the family next door who lost their home in a fire or the child down the street you didn’t know needed school supplies,” according to a statement on the Purposity.com website.

Blake Canterbury, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, founded Purposity after seeing needs firsthand. “The concept really began in September 2009 during the Atlanta flooding,” Canterbury said. “We were using social media to put those needs out there. Someone needed diapers. After putting it out on Twitter, I had people from three different states offering to donate diapers.” 

The success of using social media to aid with disaster relief led Canterbury to Haiti during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. He used social media platforms to reach out to those who could help and coordinate efforts in areas that needed additional assistance, including working with Doctors Without Borders and the United Nations. After his experience, Canterbury launched his first nonprofit, BeRemedy, to help others in need. That led to the creation of Purposity.com September 2016. 

“I was approached by a homeless liaison from a local school and she said that it could take weeks and sometimes months to track down resources to help students. She wanted to know if we could build a tech solution to help with this problem,” Canterbury said. “And if this one community has a problem, every school system in the country has some issues.”

Beginning in Atlanta, Georgia, Purposity now serves Townes County, Cobb County, and Union County in Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tenn. They currently serve six school systems with eight-12 more launching this fall and four nonprofits with seven more launching this fall. Purposity is continuing to expand and St. Clair County could potentially be the first county in Alabama to have this service available.

“Our lives are busy…How do we build the easiest way to help people?” Canterbury stated. “Part of the model (for Purposity.com) is to drive resources to local nonprofits and bring unity to help (those in need.)”

“We have 6000 people signed up (as users) and we have met over 2000 needs since January,” Walsh said. “Our goal is to expand to Alabama, Colorado, and South Carolina during the rest of the year.”

In order for St. Clair County to become an active location for Purposity, Walsh explained that they need a minimum number of those in the community willing to help. Currently, there are 42 people signed up and a minimum of 150 is needed. Registration is free and there is no cost to individuals, nonprofits or schools for the service. Walsh said they are always looking for community sponsors in order to cover some of the costs of the nonprofit.

“We are extremely encouraged,” Walsh said. “We want to reach as many people as we can.”

Bill Walsh recently moved to Pell City from Blairsville, Georgia. Previously, his family lived in Colorado for 40 years. 

“This (Purposity) is a way to connect people in need with local people that can meet that need,” Walsh said. “We maintain the privacy of those in need. When you receive a need, you’ll get a story of the reality of what is going on in that person’s life.”

Needs that have been met include anything from school supplies, shoes, or a laptop for a homeless college student. “There was a child in a homeless women’s shelter that got a coat for the first time and didn’t take it off for 30 days,” Walsh told the members of Kiwanis. 

Volunteers can see the needs they have met, and receive a message saying, “You really made a difference in someone’s life.”

For more information about Purposity, visit www.purposity.com.