Creating a more connected way to give, because we are better together.

The Inspiration behind The Moai Project

My lifelong friend Gina English was working as a social worker in Kanas City with some at risk teens. Most of them came from low income families and Gina worked hard to get them resources they needed. She would occasionally call me or post something on Facebook to her friends with items one of her clients needed; things like football cleats, a prom dress, or money for a college exam fee. The connection I felt after hearing about these kids and being able to help them was so incredibly rewarding. I was so grateful for the opportunity to make a small impact in their lives. Over the next couple years I just keep thinking that someone needs to build a better way to give. More connected. People WANT to give. I just kept thinking over and over that if my friend, relative, or neighbor would have made the same donation if they just knew a fellow Kansas Citian needed it. I sat on the idea for over two years.

Covid Hits

The fall of 2020 comes around and with far more time on my hands due to Covid and the quarantine that brought with it, my mind kept coming back to the idea of building a better way for people to give. It finally occurred to me one day that maybe no one had built it because I was the one who was supposed to build it!

The Name

I started off considering very literal names using words like “donation”, “connection”, “connected”, “connecting”, “neighbors”, etc. Nothing felt quite right so I continued talking to friends, getting their thoughts on the concept and constantly trying to come up with a name. It came to me in the form of a National Geographic article on Blue Zones. Blue Zones are of the world where, it is claimed, a higher than usual number people live much longer than average

“People want to give. They want to help others. We just need to connect them. Once they experience what it feels like to give with The Moai Project, they will be hooked. It will be contagious.”

— Angel Amaya, The Moai Project Founder