The United Way of Venango County is working to build its volunteer website, Get Connected Venango. The site, uwvc.galaxydigital.com, connects area individuals and groups, who are looking to volunteer their time with local organizations. The site can also be used to share community events and fundraising initiatives.

The United Way is looking to register any area non-profit agencies, organizations, or groups who have volunteer opportunities they need help filling.  Those wanting to register would need to provide some basic information, which would then be used to create an agency profile for the site.

Organizations then provide specific information about their volunteer needs and community events, for promotion on the Get Connected website and Facebook page. The United Way will provide continued follow ups to ensure the organization’s information and needs are up to date.

Get Connected also registers individuals as volunteers for accounts on the site. They can find available opportunities by searching the site by type of activity or they can search to see opportunities at a specific agency. Once a volunteer finds the opportunity they want, they sign up through the site.

Volunteers can register individually; as can volunteer teams, for organizations or groups that want to give back together. Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange (FLEX), the Chamber’s young professionals group, has plans to register to volunteer as a group through Get Connected (see the August FYI newsletter for more details).

The site can help manage volunteer responses, track hours and help communicate with those who volunteer. It also provides volunteers with a report of the time they have given.

The site is at no cost to those who use it. To learn more, or to start the registration process, contact United Way Volunteer Coordinator Jessica Struthers, at (814) 676-6545 or jstruthers@unitedwayofvenangocounty.org.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s August 2020 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.