Founder surprised Open for Service effort spreading nationwide

VALPARAISO, Ind. — A website originally meant as a way to help Indianapolis businesses market their openness to all customers has spread like wildfire to 23 states and several major cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

But the site’s creator, Josh Driver, said it wasn’t until he saw businesses from Valparaiso, his hometown, get involved that the impact of his new creation, OpenForService.org, really hit him.

“When there were some (Valparaiso) businesses that kind of stepped up that way — that’s just kind of awesome,” Driver told the Post-Tribune.

He created the website two weeks ago in response to the then-proposed Religious Freedom and Restoration Act, a bill that Gov. Mike Pence signed into law Thursday that protects businesses from serving clients because of religious reasons.

Opponents of the law say it’s legalized discrimination that targets gay people, however.

Driver created stickers and online badges saying “We Serve Everyone” that businesses, churches and other groups can buy and use from the website to promote the fact that they’re willing to serve anyone, no matter their sexual orientation.

Driver originally dreamed up the idea just for Indianapolis businesses. His friends helped spread the word, however, and businesses across Indiana and in other states started buying them.

The first order from Northwest Indiana came Tuesday evening, he said, and by Wednesday afternoon, the site was seeing orders from companies in Chesterton, Portage, Crown Point and about 12 to 15 in Valparaiso.

Driver was born and raised in Valparaiso but left in 2000 for college. He moved to Indianapolis in 2002, where he’s lived ever since.

Seeing companies from across the country get on board was big, he said, but it meant more seeing those from his hometown, an area that usually leans conservative, also support the cause.

“I have gotten people from Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, and that’s awesome,” he said. “But when Valparaiso signed up, that hit home.”

Part of the $10 OpenForService.org is asking for the stickers goes to making them, but Driver said he’s sending the rest to a national not-for-profit called Score that provides mentors for people starting their own businesses.

“The hope being that the money will fund more mentorships for businesses who will open their doors to everybody,” he said.

Driver hopes to keep the website and stickers going and is working with a mentor now about further steps to take, such as becoming an official not-for-profit. He’d also like to see large restaurants and other retailers do sponsorships to help pay for increased administration costs as the website grows, although money from the stickers will remain dedicated to supporting Score.