FAQs
About the Virtual Volunteering Project
Oregon Literacy, Inc. (OLI)
Serving Oregon and Southwest Washington state.
http://www.hevanet.com/literacy
Oregon Literacy, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, works to increase literacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington state. OLI achieves this mission through support and awareness for local adult literacy programs throughout the state. Meg Young, Executive Director, recruits, trains and supports OLI's office volunteers, and the system that matches several hundred volunteers with local literacy programs each year.
For office volunteers, Meg meets with candidates in person, via telephone or through e-mail, to discuss why they're interested in volunteering for OLI, what they hope to get out of their volunteer work, and what skills they're most interested in bringing to OLI or developing through their volunteer time. She also provides information on OLI's work, history, and projects that might match their interests.
"We would like to improve the services offered through our web site. Our office serves as a statewide referral for volunteers and students for adult literacy programs, and we keep an in-office listing of statewide services. We would like to make this available on the web, so that visitors to the web site can find the information they are looking for online, rather than having to call our office."
OLI will also develop contact lists specifically for literacy providers, and would like these placed online, preferably in a database that the practitioners can query. "We would also like to have developed a literacy 'quiz' that engaged visitors in learning more about adult literacy across the state. "
"The web is a daily part of my work life. In addition to using my email to join listservs, bringing information to us daily, I use the web to locate information on funders, including downloading all the forms required for applications. We also use the web as a research tool for affiliated literacy programs that do not have access."
"In my former job, I spent some time creating and expanding the resources at http://www.nifl.gov which aims to serve as a resource for literacy programs on many levels. I'm currently on a national advisory committee to improve the design and structure of that web site. "
"We have small space, and limited resources on site. Online volunteers, bringing their own resources, have an exciting potential to move our work forward quickly. Working with volunteers has always been one of the most enjoyable parts of my job - the Virtual Volunteering Project has the potential to expand our work beyond the walls of our office, which currently limits how many volunteers I can successfully manage. Because I have used the Internet to complete work projects before, with partners located across the country, I'm confident of the ability to transfer this skill to managing volunteers."
Meg made significant contributions to the Virtual Volunteering Project's suggestions for accommodations for online volunteers who have learning disabilities or emotional and anxiety disorders. This information helps volunteer managers address the various learning styles and working styles of volunteers, and is part of the Project's overall suggestions for Working via the Internet with volunteers who have disabilities. This new material inspired Meg to set up a page of links to LD resources on the OLI web pages as well.
