Kindred | Make a difference, close to home.

This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 1: Touch Grass

What I Built

Many people want to volunteer and contribute to their communities, but finding suitable volunteering opportunities and getting proper recognition for their contributions can be difficult.

That’s why I built Kindred, a volunteering platform that helps people discover volunteering activities near them and keep a verifiable record of their contributions.

Users can browse available volunteering activities and participate in projects that interest them. Each volunteering activity creator is provided with a QR code or digital verification code, which participants can use to verify their contribution after completing the activity.

Users can participate in multiple volunteering projects, and whenever they need to prove their volunteering experience, they can generate a detailed, verifiable document containing information about all the projects they have contributed to. This document can serve as proof of their volunteering experience for applications, portfolios, scholarships, employment opportunities, or other purposes.

Kindred also allows anyone to create and organize their own volunteering activities, making it easier for communities and organizations to connect with people who want to make a difference.

Demo

https://kindred-tau-olive.vercel.app/

Code

thidaskaveesha / volunteer-hub

centeralised application where all volunteering activities located near you so you can help them and check in using their code to collect digital rewards.

How I Built It

I used GitHub Copilot to assist with version control through MCP and to generate code based on comments and instructions.

As an open-weight model, I also used Gemma 4 with Ollama through OpenCode to assist with developing several pages of the application.

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

Open innovation made it possible to combine open-source AI tools and models with modern development workflows without relying entirely on closed APIs. Using tools like Ollama, Gemma, and OpenCode allowed me to experiment freely, keep costs low, and have more control over how AI was used while building Kindred.

Prize Categories

Best use of Github Copilot
Best use of Gemma