S-H-E-P~ A Necessary Function On SteemIt

Welcome to S-H-E-P, my friends.

Steemit's Hospitality and Engagement Platform.

@coyoteom and I have a lot of work to do. The first thing is to create the descriptions and instructional blogs for each of the new channels. We apologize this hasn't already been done. Things have been moving a bit faster than we expected and neither of us were immediately ready for the amount of online time this initiative requires.

There is no need to wait for us, though. All you need to do is post your blog describing your need and what you offer under the tags we recently named:
#kin-shep for Hosts, Kin in Need and Community Organizers
#shep-heard for Travelers, Workers, and Volunteers

Our first post announcing the initiative explains in detail the process and we even offer example templates for organizing the details in your blogs here.

This week we hope to get the channel descriptions posted and separate instructions for how to use the platform on the corresponding channels. We are also flirting around with creating the banners. Stay tuned, we may be running a couple new contests to get this done or, in the spirit of S-H-E-P, if you would like to donate a graphic or two, we will not be offended.

As a general note, @notconvinced and @coyoteom will be co-running the @s-h-e-p account. @coyoteom will be curating and creating posts for the @kin-shep account and @notconvinced will be curating and creating for the @shep-heard. We are both new to running channels, so bear with us while we become adjusted to the change. 😜

Why we believe platforms like S-H-E-P are necessary.

There are many ways for Steemians to connect through Social Media, but most of them are purely digital. Society is becoming more apathetic because of this.

If you have been paying attention at all to the studies that have been coming out en masse lately, you are seeing a common theme and trend. People are better connected than ever, but are prefering to do so mostly through technology, rather than face to face. The word addiction is getting thrown around quite a bit and depression seems to be the norm these days. There are many reasons for this, but our digital culture is a significant contributor. It's too new and a healthy balance is yet to be achieved. We hope initiatives like S-H-E-P are part of the solution.

Money issues are hands down a huge stressor and just about any negative action you can think of, can be reduced to selfishness. If you can use Social Media to its full potential and ease the need for money to survive and actually increase face-to-face interaction, then we can better balance the negativity.

That's the intention of S-H-E-P. Bringing Steemians together in the flesh for mutual benefit, both psychologically and monetarily.

S-H-E-P is a community that has two wings, which brings together those who need a little help with others looking to give their brethren a hand or simply make new friends. It is bringing the two together into one, which is the natural order of life. Everything is part of the whole.

One wing represents the Hosts or folks asking for a hand in maintaining or organizing projects and we named this wing kin-shep. The second wing represents the Helpers or Traveling Volunteers willing to help out their brethren and wash their own dishes, for example, rather than pay to have a stranger wash them and we named this wing shep-heard.

Our kin are less mobile. They have a place they are tending whether it be a homestead, apartment, urbanstead, or penthouse with a life that requires money to maintain, repair, enhance, furnish it, babysit the children, or even simply pay the mortgage. Between earning a living and living, 24 hour days aren't quite long enough. A huge chunk of all of our lives are used just to earn enough to get by, not to mention the time it takes to get ahead.

If a person is in need of a safe shelter, a warm shower, friendship + meals and are willing to barter their labor or knowledge, rather than purchase these goods, S-H-E-P gives them a platform to do so. It creates another option, lending to a more voluntary life.

If you didn't have to worry about having enough money to pay for room and board, would you travel more often?
I would, for certain!

S-H-E-P is a back-to-the-basics approach to living life. I mean actually living it. Not slaving away so you are able to purchase a bit of time to live just when you can afford it.