Facebook might not be known for respecting your privacy but sometimes it does things that warm your heart. The company is rolling out “Drives” which enables users to collect food, clothing, and other essentials for those in need. In addition, Facebook itself will have its own Drives to help jumpstart the effort.
The feature works in tandem with the Community Help hub, which first launched in 2017, and lets users gather resources in unexpected circumstances such as natural disasters, weather events, and yes, even global pandemics.
To start a Drive, simply type “Community Help” into Facebook’s search bar, and then click “Request or Offer Help.” From there, you’ll see a “Create Drive” button, which will bring you to a form that you’ll need to fill out, which includes setting a goal.
When others see your post, they’ll be able to see what’s needed and how close to the goal you are. Your Drive will automatically show up in your News Feed and Timeline as well as in the Community Help hub.
Facebook says the feature is still rolling out, with wider availability in the coming “weeks.” The timing could be better, as the holidays are approaching and folks are struggling due to the ongoing pandemic. More time to collect the items people need would have been better. But better late than never, we suppose.
Of course, this new feature will be monitored just like any other thing posted to Facebook to ensure everything fits within the company’s Community Standards and Community Help Product Policies. It says that any offending posts will be taken down immediately.
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, will be adding a new fundraising feature soon. It’s worth mentioning that you can already share stickers on Stories and Instagram Live. And soon, you’ll be able to do the same on your main feed. Facebook didn’t mention when this feature will launch, though.
Regardless, using the company’s reach to be able to help the community is great no matter how you look at it. Especially now, in a world where a lot of folks are staying home, potentially without a job.
via TechCrunch
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