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Her poster begins: “I have too much free time.”

She’s a student far from home, it’s summer, she doesn’t really know anyone well.

“I have nothing to do and I would like to earn some extra money to buy a piano,” reads her poster.

“Need help with anything? I’ll do your boring tasks.

• Don’t want to water your plants?

• Your car is filthy but the idea of washing it is unbearable?

• You love your dog but you’d rather drink a beer after work than go out for a walk?

• You have an existential crisis that you would like to discuss with a complete stranger that probably has mediocre/adequate advice?”

It’s working.

Photo by Gerry Kahrmann / PNG

De La Puente has been asked to help people with their taxes, to sort important papers, scan documents, arrange receipts for credit cards. She’s not had to turn anyone down.

“It’s boring stuff, but pretty important stuff,” she said before an appointment to walk some dogs and then later in the day to clean and organize someone’s basement.

As for helping people through their existential crisis …

De La Puente hails from Merida, the state capital of Yucatán, and is studying industrial design at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in east Vancouver. With school out and no friends to speak of outside of classmates dispersed for the summer, she thought offering her services might also be a good way to meet people.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable charging someone for conversation, for being lonely,” she said. “That would be weird. I’m not a counsellor or anything.

“But I myself am sort of alone here, I came from Mexico and I don’t know anyone here. I feel if someone is alone and wants to talk, I’d be good to talk to. I’m nice. At least that’s what I think.”

If you’d like to talk to her or have her do odd jobs — “all this and more,” she says — you can call or text her at 236-869-0714.

gordmcintyre@postmedia.com

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