Project Empathy

Copy-write VP and Hero – John Hansen

Chase and his dad had noticed the homeless population in their area and wanted to do something to help. How can we help? Well, ask them, his dad responded. This was the first spark, the lightbulb, the brisk wind under his tiny cape that inspired Chase and his dad to begin their quest of becoming humble vigilantes on a mission. The Hansen men didn?t just want to hand out sandwiches or donate money or canned food. They wanted to find a sustainable solution to the problem, not just bandaid. Thus, Project Empathy was born.

The approach was simple; sit down person-to-person over a simple meal and listen. Tap into the mindset of an innocent child and listen without judgment and with only curiosity. It was asking what they said they need. As it turns out, what most of them needed was a person to listen to them and connect with. To sit down with over 130 homeless individuals person-to-person over a meal, and ask them what they need. They discovered in the end, a free meal is always great, but having someone to listen to them and hear them was immeasurable.

Chase and his dad have just begun their journey, as they made very clear. It?s not for glory or news headlines but the future of their community and the improvement of the lives of those most-at-risk. Chase is now 10-years-old and has no plans of slowing down any time soon. His pure motivation and desire to make the world a better place will no doubt make a lasting impact on the world. Chase hopes to grow Project Empathy even more in the future and end homelessness in their city. Kids like Chase have the power to create real change in the world with the right encouragement, environment, and little bit of superhero magic.

It?s clear that Chase and his dad don?t do this for the headlines or the awards or glory. They saw a problem that they knew they could solve, even if it was one person at a time out of thousands. They?ve collected data and researched and talked to hundreds of people with a simple mission to serve and foster the community. It?s not as easy as putting on gloves and handing out sandwiches but it is as simple as sitting down with a person in need and listening. ? Nugent Magazine