Call me idealist, but each time I see a site that uses bandwidth for reaching out to help people instead of posting pictures or gossip, I feel very optimistic about the world. Happily, there are several charity and support organizations that are taking advantage of social networking platforms to do some good, even if small, and ModestNeeds.
org is one of them. The site presents a list of cases of low-income people and families who apply for help to pay for unexpected expenses, like doctor fees, household bills, and other similar stuff. Members of the site are expected to donate as much as they want, and for each dollar they donate, they get awarded points, which in turn they can use to make any of the applicant’s requests for support more visible for other donors, and thus help that applicant reach the amount of money they need faster. If you take a moment to read into the donor’s security area, you’ll learn that this non-profit goes to great pains to ensure that collaborations are issued to people who really need help, as they pay directly to the creditors of the person requesting help –and not the person directly—, thus making sure that nothing strange happens with the money, and they scrupulously check all the information provided by the applicant. If you want to apply for help by this organization, you’ll find detailed information on the kinds of grants and conditions that apply by visiting the FAQ section. 
