Dignity first
Neighbors choose their display name, story, and needs. No pity-based language. No exploitative imagery. People are people — not a category.
Piloting in New Haven, CT
Give directly.
Help a neighbor today.
Spare helps you give toward specific wishlist items for unhoused neighbors: hygiene, clothing, essentials.
Takes less than two minutes. Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or your usual card.
How it works
Three steps from discovery to delivery
Spare closes the loop between your generosity and a neighbor's real need — with transparency at every step.
- 01
Discover a neighbor
Browse profiles in New Haven or scan a QR code at a partner shelter or library. Each profile shows a chosen name, story, and specific needs.
- 02
Give to an item or wishlist
Pick a specific item — socks, toiletries, a poncho — or contribute to someone's general wishlist. Pay securely with card or digital wallet.
- 03
Get proof it arrived
Partner staff purchase funded items and mark them delivered. You get an email when your gift arrives. No guessing where your money went.
Why Spare
Giving that feels meaningful — because you can see the impact
Most of us want to help when we pass someone on the street. Spare channels that impulse into something concrete: a named person, a specific need, and proof it arrived.
“I know exactly who I helped, what I helped fund, and when it arrived.”
Radical transparency
You see exactly what you funded and who you helped. Funding progress is visible on every item. We tell you when it’s purchased and delivered.
Real items, not cash
Your gift buys specific wishlist items — hygiene, clothing, essentials. Spare coordinates purchase and delivery through trusted local partners.
Privacy by design
Private contact info never appears on public profiles. Recipients control what they share. Custom requests stay hidden until approved.
For shelters & libraries
Partner with Spare in New Haven
We work with shelters and libraries to create dignified profiles, manage wishlists, and fulfill funded items. Admin flows are designed for busy staff — create a profile, add items, mark delivered in minutes.
Get in touch✓Create and manage neighbor profiles
✓Curated item catalog — no live product search
✓Fulfillment queue: funded → purchased → delivered
✓QR codes for easy profile sharing
FAQ
Questions donors ask us
Your donation funds specific wishlist items for a named person in New Haven. Spare coordinates purchase and delivery through partner shelters and libraries — you never hand cash to recipients directly.
Ready to help a neighbor?
Open the app, open a wishlist in New Haven, and give toward something they actually need. It takes less than two minutes.