5.7 Message From "The Link" - Coach vs. Volunteer

Do you find our website confusion? Are you finding projects? Do you register as a “Coach" or a “Volunteer"?

Are these questions you’re asking yourself as you interact with our website?

The most asked question that I get is what is the difference between a coach and a volunteer? Are they different and if so, why? So, I thought I would explain the difference so you can understand better our mission and how we work.

Overview of Website:
Our website is a place where anyone in our community can ask for FREE assistance with home maintenance and repairs or any project they could use some help with. We want to provide an outlet for elderly, disabled, single-parents, and those who cannot physically perform the task or cannot afford to hire those tasks to be done.

Our website then allows anyone throughout our community to register on our website in order to select a project and complete on their own. It’s designed for volunteer to connect to projects that are close to home, within their skills, and complete on their own schedule based on what works for those asking for help.

There is no guarantee that anyone asking for help will get help. It all lies in the willingness of our volunteers to self select which projects they desire to complete.

That brings us to those who want to help. Do you register as a coach or volunteer?

Volunteer:
A volunteer for NeighborLink is just like any other volunteer. Someone that desires to offer a portion of their time to assist in a project already being organized by a leader for free and even offer financial assistance when necessary. When you register on our website as a volunteer, you are registering to access all projects that are being organized by a Coach and are seeking volunteer to help them with a task. You are not committed to the homeowner or any specific project, just committing your time to what the Coach is asking for.

Coach:
Being a Coach is unique to NeighborLink. We define a Coach as being someone willing to select, organize, and lead projects. When someone registers as a Coach, they are committing to the recipient and to the project they select. There are no requirements to take a certain amount of projects or to even lead others into the projects. The only requirement is that if you select a project that you would committ to completing the task for the recipient or find the right person if you cannot meet their need. Coaches also must go through a brief interview process designed to understand how you heard or connected to NeighborLink, what your intentions are and it provides an opportunity for me to talk about how to be a coach. It allows us to protect our recipients contact information from possible fraud and it allows us to educate you on how best to use the website.

Other Information:
On NLFW.org, when a volunteer logs in, they are directed to their profile page that allows them to update their skills and ways to help as well as view all projects that coaches are scheduling and asking for volunteer assistance. If you’ve in fact logged in and checked for available projects you’ve probably not seen too many projects being organized. Even though the website is designed to organize complete projects within the website, it’s not a function that’s used often.

The majority of our projects are completed when a Coach identifies a project on the website as something they want to complete and then either completes the project on their own or finds their own volunteers through their church, small group or family/friends.

Although our website is a great tool for connecting to needs easily, it does lack the personal interaction necessary to organize projects that we’re used to. Many Coaches find it scary to select a project, ask for volunteers through the website and trust that volunteers will see it and want to help without talking to each other.

What Should You Do If You’re a Volunteer & Want to Help?
1. You can change your status. I can change your status to a Coach. It will allow you to take projects that you can either do on your own or find friends to help with.

There is no pressure to be or do anything you’re not comfortable doing. You’re in control of how you want to serve, you’re just taking a little more initiative rather than waiting on someone else to do it for you. It’s OK, I know you can do it.

2. You can join a project in progress. Watching these emails for organized volunteer opportunties or watching the blog at www.AtTheLink.com if your best opportunity. Or, ask your church if they are organizing regular outreach opportuntities. If not, have them talk to me.

3. You can help me. I always need volunteers to help me with organizational stuff. Writing Thank You cards. Visiting recipients and reviewing their projects so we can make sure we have the right information on the website for them. Calling recipients to see if they still need assistance. Connect with local businesses for partnership opportunties. You name it, I can put you to work.

If you would like to do any of these or ask specific questions, please don’t HESITATE to call me. It’s why I’m hear, to equip and empower you to make the difference in our community God is calling you to make in your own way.

Andrew
Your “Courageous" Director
andrew@nlfw.org
260.710.7611