That's what Jessica Helgerson, a decorator in Oregon, USA, had in mind when she started The 1% Project. A program aimed at helping the homeless and alleviating their problems, in an area where real estate sales and home and business renovations were booming at the time. So the differences between nice big freshly renovated buildings and the shacks where the homeless lived were very stark.

The program started in 2019 and the idea was simple: Customers, first of Helgerson, and then of many other businesses, were charged an extra 1% on their bill, and that extra amount went to the local homeless program. Participation was voluntary.

"When you're working with people who can afford an interior designer, giving 1 percent to social and charitable causes might not be a lot of money for them," Helgerson said. People saw it positively and most were excited to be a part of this program.

The venture succeeded, the program continues and expands to various actions and we are inspired by Jessica Helgerson.