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KINDNESS CREATES COOL
JESSICA ZHANG
Arizonans like to say that they manage to withstand their summers’ brutal heat by insisting, well, that it’s a dry heat—unlike other, much steamier and more humid parts of the country. Yet, dry or not, the truth is that not everyone can escape into the cooler confines of air-conditioned offices, homes, or cars or grab the chance to take a refreshing dip in a pool. And with temperatures often soaring to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes lasting spans of weeks, the heat in cities like Phoenix has increasingly become intolerable for many and even life-threatening—with heat strokes and dehydration on the rise for the common resident.
Among the most vulnerable in the summer months are those experiencing homelessness—a problem that one man is passionately setting out to address.
Phoenix native Matthew Tees is a social entrepreneur whose business is named CART Mobile Convenience. Through CART, Matthew travels around downtown Phoenix, selling prepackaged food, drinks, and other miscellaneous items. Matthew sells his wares from his electric-powered golf cart, mostly at locations in and around Phoenix with stops primarily at office buildings, restaurants, and schools. For every water bottle he sells, he donates a water bottle, and for every food item he sells, he donates a food item.
His call to action came from two realizations in one day. The first, as he notes, was that in an instant-gratification society, most working people and others want immediate access to food and drinks as well. “I wanted to be able to provide those items to people who can’t leave the office or job site,” he says. The second realization was that the Phoenix community would want to support the less fortunate by patronizing a business trying to make a difference.
Matthew decided to make a bet on convenience and kindness.
After being approved by the city as a small mobile business, he went from having fifteen transactions the first day to selling more than 1,250 water bottles and three hundred food items within only a few months—then delivering those same quantities to those in need.
Matthew has a menu that is twofold: ever-evolving to accommodate the needs of his customers and help the community.
First off, busy downtown workers can support the small business and quickly grab a snack during a break. There is both variety and convenience associated with buying from CART. Secondly, Matthew helps deliver all the donated proceeds to benefit those impacted hardest by the extremely dry weather conditions and soaring temperatures.
Matthew greets all his customers with a contagious friendliness, always asking, “How’s your day going today?” hoping to cheer them up with conversation, laughter, and food.
As to why he gives away equal numbers to what he sells, Matthew explains, “I am a downtown Phoenix resident, so I witness firsthand a lot of less-fortunate, forgotten-about people.” It just makes sense that if he is building a business he would want a portion of his profits to go back to the neighborhood and all its residents. The “buy-one-give-one” approach of social entrepreneurships like TOMS Shoes and Warby Parker has proven to be a successful business model. Customers like knowing their dollars will go toward uplifting someone else and solving a growing social issue.
To that end, Matthew has become well-versed in the reality of the systemic problem of unequal access to water and food in the hot temperatures of Arizona. He likes his beneficiaries to feel as appreciated as his customers. “It is my goal to provide them with a cold bottle of water, a smile, and a kind, humane interaction—something they might not often get in their circumstances.”
Many of his customers, who are fans of his dedication, become repeat supporters, asking him to frequent their workplaces by requesting deliveries. Matthew has a reputation for never forgetting a name and making sure to greet everyone with a hello and later a good-bye. This kind of individual customer service may be one reason he’s drawn so much of the public—who usually avoid leaving their offices to face the outrageous temperatures—to go outside and visit CART.
I echo the message in Jessica’s story about the importance of giving back to your community, and our whole team at Born This Way Foundation is grateful for individuals like Matthew who are caring for others in times of need. If you’re experiencing homelessness or want to learn how you can combat this crisis, please visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness or the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Regular patron Marc praises Matthew, saying, “The service is excellent! Matt is scrupulously honest, endlessly helpful, and very creative about improvising on the fly.”
When Matthew rolls up to interact with citizens who are experiencing homelessness, his hope is that they can see him as a source of aid. Never in a hurry, he’ll talk with them at length, getting a sense of their lives and challenges and how he can continue to help.
One of Matthew’s beneficiaries, Tony S., was able to thank him personally during a water and food drop-off. His message was simple: “Thank you for what you’re doing. We really need this help. A lot of people just forget about us or don’t care.”
On the hottest days, Matthew drives along the roads and stops wherever he sees anyone who may need help, offering several bottles of ice-cold water. In more populated areas, such as public parks and bus stations, he parks the CART and walks around to deliver his goods to those who might be wary or who do not know he’s legitimately offering help.
He admits, “Sometimes those interactions can be hard emotionally or harsh to witness, but that is the reality of their situations. I try to be a bright spot in their day, even if it is brief.” As much as he encourages anyone he meets who is struggling, he acknowledges that the stories of those on the street or without basic resources have taught him about grit and resilience. Without a doubt, he says, “CART is a real learning experience daily, in every sense of the words.”
Plans for expanding his operations are in the works. You can always continue to spread the love, Matthew believes. To combat the effects that the excessive heat levels have on all residents of Phoenix, he hopes to have even more carts in the near future to serve more people and a larger area.
In the meantime, Matthew Tees has proven that being an entrepreneur and a philanthropist can go hand in hand, and that success is ultimately defined by the size of your heart, not by the size of your bank account.