United Way of Calgary launches new website to help local agencies find volunteers

The timing is good for a new United Way of Calgary website that will make it easier for local agencies to find volunteers during uncertain economic times, says the head of the organization.

United Way of Calgary on Monday launched YYCconnects.com, a website that highlights the needs of organizations such as CUPS and Fresh Start Recovery linking them with corporate partners.

Lucy Miller, president and CEO of United Way Calgary, says it's a valuable service that will help focus resources on "big issues like poverty and homelessness and domestic violence."

Miller said the website will also be helpful to struggling agencies. "We had an agency just recently who said we really need to connect to the cloud. But we don't know how to do that, and it would cost us money to get that done. Is there any way we can get somebody to do that for us?"

That's where YYCConnects comes in, says Miller. The idea is that a corporate partner would then see that request and provide a volunteer for a couple of days to do the work. The jobs could range from a website re-design to a marketing plan.

"One of the ways it does this is through a volunteer portal that connects corporate Calgary with our agencies, so that together they can have social impact."

This help agencies stay efficient and running smoothly, says Sue Rose, president of Perpetual Energy. "This is important to agencies because it brings resources to the table that they wouldn't otherwise have."

YYCConnects will also share information on the site about important social issues facing the city.