Ponte Vedra Girl Scout Katie Dykstra – along with team member Dina Zakaria – has created an app to help charitable organizations effectively communicate their needs to donors and volunteers.
“Carachute,” which originated as part of Dykstra’s Gold Award project for the Girl Scouts, is an Android app that directly connects charities to volunteers. By sending out text alerts to “carers,” or supporters, about a charity’s most urgent volunteer and donation needs, Carachute helps those organizations receive the assistance they need when they need it.
The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, recognizing girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through “take action” projects that have a sustainable impact on their communities and beyond. Only open to high school girls, the purpose of the award is to encourage community involvement.
Carachute has already been adopted by local charity BEAM (Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry), which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the low-income residents of Jacksonville’s Beaches communities. Other charitable organizations interested in using the app can download it from the Google Play Store.
For additional information about Carachute, email carachutellc@gmail.com.
