How Local Guides are making the world a better place

[JuanCh]

Caption: A photo of Local Guides Program Manager @JuanCh speaking during Connect Live 2018.

It’s no secret that Local Guides have an impact in the world. By sharing your knowledge and contributing to Google Maps, you are helping millions of people every day. But did you know that you are also making the world a better place?

During Connect Live 2018, I shared some amazing examples of Local Guides who are creating a positive impact right now. Like Adriano mapping blood donation sites in São Paulo, Sister Maria Louise mapping anti-hunger places, or Anuradha protecting cultural heritage in Sri Lanka.

Connect is also a great platform to start a movement, like @Ilankovan’s Let’s Map Green campaign or @ermest who started a plastic reduction campaign.

We are grateful for these and many more Local Heroes among our global community. You truly are a great inspiration for our team and for fellow creators.

The Local Guides team is also very passionate about trying to do good in the world and making sure that Google Maps is built for everyone. Our vision is to encourage this behaviour in the community by mobilizing Local Guides around the globe to do good in the world both proactively and in times of crisis.

Over the past few years, we’ve run some amazing campaigns to support this cause:

• Accessibility: helping millions get around
• India Literacy Project: learning with Google Maps
• Supporting women’s right in Nigeria: in collaboration with Stand to End Rape (STER)
• Improving sanitation in India: by supporting the Swachh Bharat Mission

It is our intention to continue on this path and as we are getting into 2019, we’d love to know what causes motivates you. Please share your story with us in the comments below.

[Soclosemam]

ตื่นเต้นที่ได้ร่วมแบ่งปันประสบการณ์ร่วมกัน

[Dhanasekaran_Muthu]

Thanks @JuanCh for the motivational post for Google's Local Guides to get involved in contributions of several socially beneficial posts.

Ever since I started my contributions in Google Maps I never disregarded small size restaurants / food stall who prepare better food stuff fresher than very bombastically publicised Star Restaurants at 35% rate yet cleaner & more delecious than the bigger counterparts.

The economic budget travelers/ tourists / as well as the layman get benefitted by these posts & reviews. 

Another area which I concentrate is the free charity run lodging places called Dharmshala or Choultry in India they charge only a maintenance fee with minimal charges for food & other amenities. Such Dharmshala are some times integrated with Aashram / Yogashram . We find in severals in Haridwar / Hrishikesh at the foot of the Himalayas. 

These are affordable to a layman venturing on a tour.

[JosimarLourindo]

Muito legal. Parabéns! 

[Anonymous]

Hello @JuanCh. Thank you for sharing this useful information. If I could give 1000 kudos in one day, I surely would do it for you.

[BrandonW272]

I would like to map out voting areas. It is so important to vote and for voters to know where to vote and to know if they are registered or not. I may be late to the game on this as I think someone has already done this in my city (Kansas City, Mo), but I would love to assist if not. I also like the blood donors application. I have a retired friend who delivers blood as a side gig and I see almost everyday on Facebook how much satisfaction he gets out of it. I do not have many other ideas, but I know that I want to impact my community somehow someway. So if there are any other Kansascitians that would like to guide me in areas that need assistance, please reply to this comment, and lets begin this journey together.

[MoniV]

Hi @JuanCh,

Thanks for sharing this post with us, now this is INSPIRATION :). I am really glad to be a part of the Local Guides family. 

Reading all the comments makes me very happy, because I see Local Guides who are so passionate about updating the Google Maps and sharing their stories on Connect. I can feel people's love and their wish to help others.

[Heej_C19]

Google maps can help the world people

[chefdz]

Beau raisonnement

[Zcar77]

Love the impact but feel like im being watched from merchants 

[PrestonAZTXMN]

My wife has suffered with MS for close to 30 years. As a result, I have worked over the years to raise funding for the MS Society. This past June I invented my own fund raising initiative in which I entitled Golf til I Drop. I played as many holes of golf as possible in one day, & challenged contributors to pledge per hole. I played 141 holes, and more importantly, raised around $16K towards research to end this horrible disease.

 http://brainerddispatch.com/sports/golf/4465529-area-golf-lumans-long-day-golf-cause

I intend to attempt this again in 2019 as I truly believe that if enough money is contributed towards research, a cure will be found. 

Thanks

[Zavesta]

Hi everyone ,

I am new in local guide family, hope to add something for google map.

[Hlabirwa]

Visit Dithabaneng Village Ga-Mphahlele Limpopo Province South Africa sees something different from Europe

[shahjalaljipu]

 Hi

Spoiler

[xomarianita]

que padre que ahora podamos ayudar a otras personas a conocer todo el mundo.

[DeepakYadav]

Hello @JuanCh Thank you for sharing your post with us. I am obtaining this chance to assist alternative through this platform. I want Google map and google can encourage us a lot of to try and do one thing completely different for them. 

[Heej_C19]

Google Maps are a part of the community society.

[SalmaanN]

Hi @JuanCh 

Local Guides Connect is a platform for me to learn about ways to contribute and share my contributions with the world. In short, local guide is my another identity, I believe. And it was a pleasure meeting and talking with you at Connect Live 2018. Thanks! 

[Heej_C19]

Thank you JuanCh!

[Wildwestpallet]

Hi. 

I am a new member of local guides. 

I see huge positive social/economic benefits from such a program.

If local guides "Is built for everyone." Then everyone should have a say. 

I have fallen victim to false / negative review. 

I have evidence it is clearly saturation.

Please, can a moderator or someone in charge of Local Guides please reach out to me.

There are those who clearly are out to defame local businesses.

Jesse@wildwestpallets.ca is another method you may reach out to me privately as I have read your policy and I do not want to name drop publicly. 

Thank you. 

[infoamila]

proud to be with a heroes 

[Durojaiyeolaunde1]

@JuanCh .more review from google map.not by speed, but by google local guides, let's go steady.moving forward by google map.thanks for more updatin

 

[l4gonzal]

@kmichaelcook any idea if reviews by local guides from higher levels hold more weight algorithmically? I know you said you didn't know back in 2018 but I was wondering if you know the answer now.