Social initiatives are not new to companies. In fact most companies espouse them as a part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programmes. But in an initiative that both moves one for the gesture, and impresses you for the ingenuity, MagicBricks’s latest campaign to mark its 10th anniversary stands out.
The online property portal launched an initiative in December last year to help the poor braving the harsh and unforgiving winters on Delhi’s streets. “With no means of keeping themselves warm, every year many homeless people lose their lives due to intense cold in the national capital region.”, says MagicBricks.
So MagicBricks got its thinking hats on and came up with a creative solution to tackle two issues at once. Every year thousands of advertising ‘Flex’ materials are propped up as billboards. After their campaign date, they’re thrown away in trash. MagicBricks decided to transform these used flexes into warm and waterproof sleeping bags called ‘Magic Bags’ by lining them with blankets on the inside. A team of volunteers then distributed these blankets to hundreds of homeless people on Delhi’s roads. So while they helped the hundreds of poor people braving the harsh and severe winters in the NCR region, they also helped repurpose the flex banners thereby reducing waste.
“This is how the Magicbricks.com team decided to celebrate our 10th Anniversary. No corporate parties. No glitzy ads. Instead, a good idea, backed by 125 volunteers from our staff, and we were able to execute this do-good activity. It felt good. A memorable way to mark an important anniversary milestone for us.”, said Sudhir Pai, CEO of Magicbricks about the initiative.
The initiative is being executed in association with a Delhi-based NGO, Uday Foundation that works to improve the lives of children with medical needs. Its stated mission is to ensure dignity for the homeless.
While Magicbricks that helps people get housing may not be able to provide a shelter to the underprivileged, in its own way, it managed to help a few get a comfortable and warm blanket to sleep under.