{"id":263181,"date":"2026-08-11T10:48:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T10:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/263181\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T10:48:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T10:48:22","slug":"phillys-kind-strangers-saint-joes-grads-lean-into-mutual-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/263181\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly\u2019s \u2018Kind Strangers\u2019: Saint Joe\u2019s grads lean into mutual aid"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Four close friends and recent graduates from Saint Joseph\u2019s University want their Philadelphia neighbors to know that it\u2019s OK to ask for help. That\u2019s why Carter Karpinski, Gavin Kuebler, Alex Andahazy and Dennis Coyne launched \u201cKind Strangers,\u201d a project providing pay-what-you-can labor services to anyone in the Philadelphia region in need of a helping hand.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur system is pay-what-you-can, but if you can\u2019t, then we are still willing to help you, and we try to make sure that people don\u2019t feel bad if they can\u2019t pay us,\u201d Andahazy said.
\n\"TheCarter Karpinski, Gavin Kuebler, Alex Andahazy and Dennis Coyne, four recent graduates from Saint Joseph\u2019s University, launched \u201cKind Strangers,\u201d a project providing pay-what-you-wish labor services to anyone in the Greater Philadelphia area in need of a helping hand. The group holds a TV given to them from a community member as a \u201cthank you\u201d for their services. (Hannah Pajtis for WHYY)\n<\/p>\n

From dream to reality<\/p>\n

The idea for Kind Strangers came to Karpinski after he started doing housework for a local woman who recently had surgery and didn\u2019t have nearby relatives. Karpinski cleaned her house, cooked for her, and the two went on walks.\n <\/p>\n

As they spent more time together, Karpinski began to think about how many people in Philadelphia need assistance with various tasks but are too afraid to ask for help.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAt one point I just got the thought, \u2018There\u2019s a lot of people like this, and I wish I could do something,\u2019\u201d Karpinski said. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018I can. I have that power. I have that time.\u2019\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The next day, Karpinski called Kuebler, and they talked about different ways they could help the community with tasks and jobs. Soon after, they brought Andahazy and Coyne into the project and titled the group \u201cKind Strangers.\u201d They created an Instagram account<\/a>, posted about their services on Reddit and launched a website<\/a> with a form to ask for help<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just the idea of helping people that don\u2019t have a lot of the resources that I, at this point in my life, have the luxury of having,\u201d Karpinski said.\n<\/p>\n

The group has completed about 30 jobs since the graduates started the project two weeks ago and have received over 200 requests. Karpinski said he\u2019s responded to all of them and tries to honor requests based on the order in which they\u2019re received and each person\u2019s responsiveness. Most group members have flexible work schedules, making scheduling easier.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes up all of our free time, and we\u2019re pretty happy about it,\u201d Coyne said.\n <\/p>\n