Airbnb Gifts $1M To Its Community To Help Reduce The Number Of Strangers In The World

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Airbnb, the world's leading community-driven hospitality company, today announced a unique social challenge that acts on the company's core principles of hospitality, belonging, and opening doors around the world. As a community known for embracing the spirit of belonging, Airbnb is ringing in the new year with one audacious goal in mind: to turn strangers into friends.

Airbnb has invited its global community to help rid the world of strangers through personal and creative acts of hospitality through #OneLessStranger. Beginning today, the company will give approximately $10 - or the equivalent in foreign currency - to 100,000 Airbnb community members worldwide, totaling $1 million. Airbnb is asking members to use the money for a unique act of kindness with the goal of inspiring others to join in this global movement to help rid the world of strangers. Creative gestures of hospitality could range from using the funds to plant seeds or flowers in the community garden to buying items such as art and supplies for a local senior center, string to create friendship bracelets to share with strangers, or even ingredients for baked goods to hand out to those in need.

While funds were sent to 100,000 Airbnb community members, the global community at large is also invited to participate and encourage others to get involved. No matter how big or small the investment, Airbnb would like community members around the world to document their experience via social channels using the hashtag #OneLessStranger in efforts to create an ongoing initiative. Submissions to date, which include purchasing a motorcycle jacket from a thrift shop to take someone on a ridealong, and buying ice cream for a complete stranger, have been showcased on the dedicated microsite airbnb.com/one-less-stranger.

"The New Year is always a good time to take a step back and evaluate where you are on your journey and what you aspire to do," said Jonathan Mildenhall, CMO of Airbnb. "For Airbnb, hospitality is personal and we are committed to spreading a sense of belonging far and wide. What better way to showcase that than by inviting our global community to extend a gesture of hospitality to a complete stranger? Today, we asked our passionate and wildly creative community to see what they will do, and watch how they inspire others to pay-it-forward with #OneLessStranger."

Airbnb is committed to the company-wide ethos of connecting people so that they can belong anywhere. #OneLessStranger is just one of the many ways the company hopes to inspire others to pursue this goal as well.

About Airbnb:
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone.  Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries.  And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

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SOURCE Airbnb

Related Links

https://www.airbnb.com/one-less-stranger