Information on virtually any subject is just a click away with today’s technology.
Many social agencies have been using the Internet to publicize their organizations and make it more easy for people to find out what services they have to offer.
The Columbus Volunteer Center, which matches volunteers with volunteer opportunities in the Columbus area, has had a Web site since it was established last September.
Denise Kollath, director of the Volunteer Center, said the Web site has a searchable database with agency contact information that allows people to easily see what opportunities are out there.
“What it really offers is a neutral site for people looking for volunteer opportunities to peruse what is available,” Kollath said.
The site, volunteercolumbus.org, had 38 agencies listed and 88 volunteer opportunities on a recent day. Kollath said they only recently began to track the number of hits the Web site receives each month, and early numbers have shown about 400 hits.
Another benefit of using a Web site, Kollath said, is it can be used as a communication tool. For instance, there is a donations page that lists materials that volunteer agencies are in need of, and another page that targets 12-15 year olds.
Many service agencies in the community have their own Web site, said Pat Heimes, executive director of the Columbus Area United Way.
Those agencies’ sites are linked to the United Way Web page found at www.columbusunitedway.com.
The Internet is an “incredible use of technology for small United Way agencies,” Heimes said.
It provides a central location where information about the United Way-supported agencies can be found by anyone at any time of the day. But, Heimes also said, that technology in general has aided the organization.
Prior to incorporating computers in the office in 1990, Heimes said all the pledge cards that came in for donations to the annual campaign had to be handwritten. But with the computers came special software specifically for the campaign that has made tracking pledges easier.
So far, the United Way has not included a way to make donations online, but Heimes said, because so many people are doing money transactions over the Internet, it is something they are hoping to do in the future.
Employment services such as Nebraska Workforce Development (www.nebraskaworkforce.com) also have Web sites. Bonnie McPhillips, regional manager in Columbus, said a Web site has many advantages. It can conveniently be accessed 24/7 and there is no cost to access the site. Users can file for unemployment insurance benefits and also find information such as average wages paid for different jobs, unemployment rates and demographic/census information.
The East Central District Health Department, which is a part of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, covers a four county area including Platte, Colfax, Boone and Nance. The district’s Web site provides information on its departments, programs and calendars of upcoming events and classes in the communities. The site, at www.eastcentral
districthealth.com, also can be seen in Spanish.
Print This Story
Email This Story
