SEATTLE — Two innovative teenagers in Seattle have developed a mobile app to provide resources for what they refer to as the "changing demographic of homelessness."
Aatish Parson and Aidan Zhou are still in high school but have their focus on helping the many who have found themselves in a desperate situation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The teenagers created a free mobile app to help people "Comeback" from whatever situation they find themselves in. The app is fittingly called "Comeback - Homeless Resources" and it has a five star rating in the app store and is well-reviewed.
Parson and Zhou spent the last year developing and updating the Comeback app as they saw how COVID-19 disrupted the lives of the previously housed and unhoused.
The app provides a location-based map that directs users to the nearest resource like food pantries, shelters or other services such as rehab clinics, medical services, showers and even odd jobs for fast income. Users can also schedule appointments directly in the app.
The app works in all 50 states, so the creators said whether you're in Seattle or New York, you can load the app and find the nearest help without the potential embarrassment of asking for help.
The app currently has more than 3,500 downloads without much public awareness and the creators have been working to expand the database of resources to be as all encompassing as possible.
Crisis prevention, chat experts and more are all available at the touch of a button within the app. There's even a forum to communicate with other users who may be a in a similar situation.
The app is available for iOS and Android, people should just search "Comeback - Homeless Resources" and download it for free.