When it comes to supporting our fellow human beings or the planet at large, there’s never a bad time to lend a helping hand. In 2012, a global movement called GivingTuesday was created to celebrate generosity of all shapes and sizes.

All across the world, GivingTuesday has inspired millions of people to volunteer, donate, and give their voice to causes both local and international. Whether it’s putting a smile on a neighbor’s face or taking part in larger charitable efforts to less fortunate communities, this day of the week inspires people from all walks of life to do good.

This year, Craftcloud, the 3D printing service by All3DP, is celebrating GivingTuesday in the best way they know how: through 3D printing technology. The Craftcloud team is partnering with New Story, a non-profit that leverages innovative tools like 3D printing to take steps toward ending global homelessness.

From November 29 to December 6, Craftcloud will donate 2€ for each order placed on the platform. You can also visit the New Story website and make your own donation.

Craftcloud and New Story Team Up to Tackle Global Homelessness

There are currently over 1.6 billion people in the world who are living with inadequate shelter. As we’ve seen over the years, additive manufacturing has become a novel tool in the creation of houses and other liveable structures.

New Story has been on the forefront of this budding movement to utilize 3D printing to construct shelters and help end global homelessness. That’s why Craftcloud has decided to join forces with this non-profit and raise funds for their mission.

New Story is currently planning to build a fully 3D printed community to support families making less than $10 a day. Craftcloud has committed 100% of donations to go directly towards building a 3D printer home for a family in need. The non-profit has already helped provide housing to a handful of families in countries like Haiti and El Salvador.

For context, each 2€ donation equals an Ecoblock, which ​​is a construction block composed mostly of compressed earth. Compared to traditional cement blocks, these 3D printed alternatives are stronger and more cost effective, making it both environmentally and economically sustainable. Of course, higher donation amounts allow for more expensive components such as windows, doors, and utilities.

There are two ways you can contribute to this GivingTuesday initiative.

Firstly, you can order custom parts on the Craftcloud platform during the week and have a portion of your order donated to New Story. All you have to do is place an order between November 29 and December 6. Secondly, if you don’t currently have a need for the professional 3D printing service, you can visit this special landing page and make your own contribution.

New Story’s 3D Printed Community Aims to Provide Shelter to Those in Need

New Story is building these 3D printed homes in collaboration with ICON, an Austin, Texas-based construction tech company that shares the same goal of revolutionizing homebuilding for people around the world. With ICON, the non-profit can leverage proprietary 3D printing technology, software, and materials. With access to this advanced technology, New Story wants to empower those who are building homes for families living without shelter.

In order to make a sizable dent on the homelessness problem, 3D printed homes need to be created quickly and affordably, while still maintaining quality as a livable structure. The shelters being built by New Story and ICON take just 24 hours of print time to construct, which can be done over several days.

The material used to build these shelters is a proprietary concrete mixture called Lavacrete. Not only do these homes serve to provide a shelter to people in need, they are also made from local materials and produce zero waste.

Want to see how it’s done? Check out the video below about a 3D printed house built with help from New Story and ICON.

How Can Craftcloud Help You Bring Designs to Life?

Craftcloud was created to offer instant access to reliable 3D printing services to designers, small businesses, engineers, hobbyists and more. The platform features a vast range of global providers who are thoroughly vetted and only accepted into the service if they meet rigorous criteria.

The Craftcloud team makes it convenient to shop and compare between various providers so you can spend more time innovating and less time sourcing and negotiating with suppliers. When you upload a design to Craftcloud, you’ll receive instant access to different manufacturing processes, materials, finishes, and prices from a long list of providers. The quotes you’ll receive are done in real-time, providing you with the cheapest prices and fastest turnaround.

And for the entire week, you can utilize Craftcloud to help New Story build homes for those in need. From helping to construct 3D printed orthotic braces for patients to bringing an artist’s visions to life, Craftcloud has helped thousands of customers on their journey to success and innovation. Now, with New Story, we want to help solve the widespread issue of global homelessness, too.

Interested in learning more about Craftcloud or donating to the GivingTuesday campaign? You can place an order today or join us by just making a direct donation at this link.