Once his Venmo account reached over $5,000 in donations in just a couple days, Jason Herron realized his #StillTipping movement had snowballed into something big. He headed to his local bank and opened an account specifically for StillTipping, as well as a Venmo account, to establish absolute transparency for the process. What had started out with Herron and a couple of friends chipping in and giving away two $100 gift cards to service industry friends over Facebook Live soon became a community movement that has now garnered more than $20,000 for service industry workers.
Now StillTipping has its own Facebook page where people in Cleveland, Ohio, come together to donate and participate in money giveaways helping those who have lost their jobs in the current pandemic. Herron enthusiastically promotes, hosts and raises funds through the page. In this installment of PMQ Live Updates, Herron explains how it all got started, shares some of the best stories that have come out of the experience, and offers his best tips for starting a similar project in your city.
“Be kind, that’s all you’ve got to do, and help others. To help others is the best feeling in the world,” Herron tells PMQ’s Brian Hernandez. “If it wasn’t for StillTipping, I don’t know what I would be doing. If you can financially help someone, help them. Help a family member, help a neighbor, help a friend, help a stranger.”
Watch the update, plus an impromptu live giveaway, in the video below!