Man ‘hacked’ Amazon Prime's instant delivery — but only to help the homeless

Sometimes, all it takes to perform an act of kindness is to order an Amazon delivery, and one man proved that. Rob Bliss, a YouTuber from New York, found a way to use technology for something truly human — by "hacking" Amazon Prime to help the homeless, as reported by TODAY. In a video shared on YouTube, which gained 2.1 million views, Bliss showed how he turned the on-demand delivery app into a tool for kindness, using it to send socks, shoes, sleeping bags, and other basic comforts to people living on the streets. 

Bliss, who was then a 29-year-old videographer who typically shot for companies and nonprofits, said the idea came to him while thinking about how popular apps could be used in more meaningful ways. "I had been thinking about how popular apps could be repurposed from their original uses, and it came to me that apps that deliver within one to two hours could likely make deliveries to people in need, too," Bliss told TODAY.

As harsh winter temperatures made life miserable for New York’s homeless population, Bliss decided to test his idea. For five days, he walked around the city, talking to people on the streets and asking what they needed most. Once they told him, he placed the orders through Amazon Prime Now — the company’s one-to-two-hour delivery service — and added specific notes for couriers explaining that the packages were meant for someone living outside. In the video, couriers can be seen delivering boxes to people sitting on sidewalks or bundled up near subway grates. Some offer a handshake, a pat on the shoulder, or a fist bump before walking away. Bliss said that even the simple act of stopping to talk seemed to make an immediate difference.

"You would see someone and they would look so depressed, but as soon as you acknowledged them they lit up," he said. He was also moved by how the couriers responded once they understood who the deliveries were for. "I was definitely surprised by how sweet and caring the couriers were," Bliss said. "I was concerned that the couriers would have a lot of hesitation or stigmatize these people, but they took to it like fish to water... you could tell they enjoyed it and it meant something to them." Bliss’s idea was a clear reminder that helping others doesn’t always require money or a grand gesture, just the willingness to think differently about the tools we already use every day.

Margaret Echelbarger, assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business, shed light on the power of kindness in her research, saying, "It’s about those everyday moments. As humans, we need to connect with each other in meaningful ways. That’s what makes this work so relevant, especially in a time when people may be questioning the value of human interaction amid the rise of AI and technology. Acts of kindness remind us of our shared humanity." Over the course of five days, Bliss placed around 30 orders, and nearly every one reached the person in need. While he chose Amazon for his experiment, he said this kind of giving could work through any delivery platform. "My hope is that (Amazon employees) see this, and realize their potential to help enable giving," he added.

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