Gainesville is uniting volunteers with local nonprofit agencies with a new website.
ServeGNV.org, which opened for registration Aug. 31, matches volunteers with agencies through a survey tailored for people’s interest, city spokesperson Chip Skinner wrote in an email. Agencies can publish an unlimited number of programs for volunteers to attend. Volunteers can also read agency biographies and receive event notifications by following an organization.
Background checks will be conducted on prospective volunteers, which are free for agencies, said Sarah Blanc, a civic engagement and service coordinator at Santa Fe College. Blanc’s organization, the Santa Fe College Civic Engagement and Service office, tries to encourage students to volunteer more frequently and is one of the first 13 local agencies partnered with the platform.
These background checks will help agencies save money, Blanc said. Registration is free for organizations that want to participate.
Caitlin DeYoung, a 21-year-old UF environmental engineering senior, said the site is a good place for people like her to connect with agencies they feel passionate about.
“My fraternity does not always focus on environmental concerns as much as I would like, so I would definitely use this new program to get in touch with some environmental agencies seeking help,” said DeYoung, a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a community service fraternity.
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Start-up agency Communities that Care Community Land Trust Board, which aims to solve housing inequality in Alachua County, is looking for volunteers through the site for help in the main office and with social media, said Karen Brown, the board’s recording secretary.
“We are looking for volunteers who are passionate about connecting underserved populations to home-ownership opportunities and to keep that positive and hopeful spirit rolling,” Brown said.
David Ruiz, a 36-year-old Gainesville resident and serveGNV volunteer, said he is glad the city created a website for agencies to shed light on its organizational needs.
“Volunteering locally is important because it is the best way to give back and pay it forward,” said Ruiz. “The greatest place you can make a difference is locally.”
An image of ServeGNV, the new website to connect volunteers with nonprofits
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