There is a project that has been going on since February 2009 and is about to end, called Ruby’s Bequest. It is part of a unique immersive experience in which thousands of people are helping forecast the future of caring in the United States. The Institute For The Future is conducting this innovative narrative on behalf of United Cerebral Palsy and AARP. This month in the fictional town of Deepwell, it will be April 2016 and it is hoped that there will be many solutions to the challenges being created by the current cutbacks and general lack of caring by many.
In Deepwell, they have a bit of a situation. A woman named Ruby Wood has left the town some money in her will, but to get the money they have to make their town a more caring place. It turned out to be much harder to do than it sounds and they’re under the gun to get it done. Many don’t even have no idea who Ruby Wood was!
The website is putting the information about Ruby and her Bequest online so that (1) everyone in the town can follow along and (2) we can get advice from people outside our town about what best to do. Time moves so quickly and so much is going on in the world – we hope this website will gather all the useful bits in one place.
There are a few hundred stories with ideas of how to care and changes that can be made. There is still a little time to contribute, the project ends April 10, 2009. I have contributed some ideas and stories. I am “Jan” in Deepwell, just as I am Jan everywhere else! You can read my stories here.
This website is a creative way to share ideas of caring and what individuals can do. There are many ideas for those who are disabled and in need. I hope you will check out Ruby’s Bequest and please contribute your story if you can before it ends. If you don’t want to write, you can still be a friend of Deepwell.
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