Flint- Resource Genesee announces the rebranding of its volunteer center as HandsOn Genesee! This isn't just a name change, but the launch of a new tool for volunteering in Genesee County.

"The change reflects our affiliation with the HandsOn Network, a nationwide network of volunteer centers and organizations," said Julia Zaher, Director of Volunteer Services at Resource Genesee. "The HandsOn Genesee brand brings with it an exciting new logo and an easy way to identify the volunteer center for Genesee County."

The change also brings a new website, www.handsongenesee.org, which will serve as a one-stop portal for volunteering in Genesee County. The website is available now for nonprofit organizations to begin listing their volunteer opportunities. HandsOn Genesee is providing training to help area charities and nonprofits learn how to use the site. Charities, schools, colleges, governments and faith-based groups can use the site to list their volunteer activities.

"What's so different about this website is that it provides a place to recruit new volunteers on the public site, but on the back side of the site it includes a complete volunteer management system for nonprofits," Zaher said.

Much of the system is automated. When a volunteer signs up for an opportunity, the HandsOn Genesee system sends automatic emails to confirm the volunteer opportunity and sends a reminder to the volunteer four days before the their volunteer service is scheduled.

HandsOn Genesee anticipates that in the next two years most nonprofits in Genesee County will be using the site. It is free to the nonprofits. The annual costs are paid by HandsOn Genesee. The site is powered by HandsOn Connect, which was designed by the HandsOn Network specifically for its affiliates. Twenty-two volunteer centers in Michigan will be using the same technology by the end of 2012.

"It's exciting because Genesee County has needed one website where volunteers and nonprofit organizations needing volunteers can easily find each other," Zaher said.

For volunteers, the site creates a civic transcript. Any volunteer activity that a person signs up for through the site is verified after their service. All of a volunteer's service is reflected on a civic transcript which they can download. This will be valuable to students and others who want to track their service for scholarships and other applications.

Volunteers can also create teams, either public or private. This tool allows service groups, corporate groups, families and others to sign up together for a volunteer opportunity.

"This is brand new and we are still working on getting nonprofit organizations on the site. As it grows this will change the face of volunteering in our area," Zaher said.

HandsOn Genesee received grants from the Ruth Mott Foundation and the Michigan Community Service Commission to assist with the launch of the new website as well as marketing and promotion.

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