As families spend more time at home, the Montgomery County Leadership Academy is encouraging residents to lend a hand to local nonprofits.
The leadership academy has seen a rise in traffic on its mobile network Volunteer54, which was launched last year to connect people to local agencies.
“I think people are just kind of lost on how they can help without leaving their homes,” leadership academy executive director Lynn Ringis said.
With most activities halted during the stay at home order, some agencies that normally turn to the community for workers aren’t currently rounding up volunteers. But the network is also seen as a resource for groups whose active volunteers are keeping their distance during the pandemic.
The leadership academy was working to build up the platform when the pandemic hit. A planned Montgomery County Community Foundation luncheon on volunteering and networking how-tos turned into a virtual lesson. Volunteers are being encouraged to make online donations to nonprofit agencies, call elderly neighbors or family members or offer to virtually babysit a friend’s child with activities like an online story time.
Part of a project for Crawfordsville’s Stellar Communities Initiative, Mayor Todd Barton approached the leadership academy about providing a central location for volunteer opportunities.
“We’re training future leaders,” Ringis said, “and part of that is asking them to serve in the community, so we felt that was a good match.”
The platform is hosted by the free mobile app Mighty Network. More than 130 people have signed up since the launch, including representatives from local agencies and residents looking for a project.
Before the COVID-19 restrictions were put in to place, Ladoga-based Achaius Ranch used the service to find volunteers to feed horses and clean corrals. Dusk-to-Dawn Bereavement Services promoted its annual Spring Fashion Show, which was later canceled. The Montgomery County Free Clinic put out a call for volunteer personnel.
For more information about downloading the app, visit 54leadership.com/volunteer54.
