The Loudoun Volunteer Services has reached a milestone on its new volunteer-match Web site: 500 registered volunteers. The Web site, which allows prospective volunteers to search through organizations looking for volunteers was launched in October 2004 and has steadily gained more volunteers.
"The site works very well," said Lisa Rose with LVS's office of public information, "A great response once the word got out. We have volunteers signing on everyday."
THE SITE is set-up so that organizations can post for a response from volunteers.
"The site is excellent. The only way we make it is volunteers," said Patricia Maher-Wade, the Clerk of Court for the Loudoun County Juvenile District Court.
Once a volunteer finds a job that suits him he can easily contact the organization and afterwards keep track of his hours. The site also allows users to manage different volunteer opportunities and organize a person's volunteering hours.
"You can even sign up for a particular interest and the site will e-mail if something in that interest comes up," said Rose.
"I was able to search by Interest, location and time commitment, all things that were important to me," said Laura Labovich, via e-mail, who has used the site to volunteer.
The site, which now has 140 organizations on it looking for volunteers also makes the organization's job easier. Along with the recruiting aspects, organizations can manage volunteer schedules automatically communicate with volunteers through custom e-mails, verify service hours so volunteers can be recognized for significant contributions and make it easier to report the impact of the volunteers on the organization.
"Before there wasn't a way to track if volunteers were following through to the referral, now we can keep track. The goal would be to have every volunteer follow through."
THOUGH AT the moment there is no way to keep track of all the numbers, both the LVS and organizations using the site believe there has been a jump in volunteers.
"I would definitely say there has been an increase in volunteers," said Maher-Wade. Her office is in fact planning on bringing in another volunteer to help out.
The site, originally designed by the National Volunteer Center, of which LVS is a member, is helping more and more people each day find volunteering opportunities.
"I found a great [volunteer opportunity] and I am currently volunteering there regularly," said Labovich.