Two months have passed since we’ve launched Voly— our new Volunteer platform. In just a short time, we’ve had the chance to greet or meet over 500 new and existing volunteers! We appreciate all of our volunteers for making this transition with us, and we are so excited to see where it will take us!
Change is never easy, and it has been a learning curve for all, including GRACE staff. Through it all, we know many of you may be wondering— Why did we make this switch in the first place?
The root cause leads back to the core values of GRACE – To promote excellence and to continue to be good stewards of the countless hours that our volunteers have given to GRACE and our programs. To do so, we wanted to improve organization, communication, and accessibility of the volunteer experience at GRACE.
The previous method of using SignUp Genius was effective for a season, but it was heavily divided, with volunteer opportunities isolated across multiple links. GRACE needed a system that could house all of these opportunities, while still maintaining their unique features, like their descriptions, location, primary contact, dates and shift times, etc.
With Voly serving as our ‘Volunteer Hub’, it will hold volunteer applications and volunteer opportunities, so we are able to spread the word to all volunteers.
With any new system comes new processes. We want to make note of a few:
Businesses/Groups:
· Businesses, Churches, organizations, schools, and other groups looking to schedule a volunteer date (or multiple dates!) at GRACE will not go through Voly. Voly is designed to house individuals, with posted opportunities having set shifts and limits on the number of volunteers that can sign up.
· We recognize that groups can range in size from 5 to 50, and may have specific dates and times available to them. Groups will continue to contact the GRACE Volunteer Coordinator at Volunteer@GRACEGrapevine.org to schedule their date!
Scheduling Dates and Shifts:
· When creating an Opportunity on Voly, GRACE will enter dates and shifts in bulk. Once posted, these cannot be changed. Therefore, it is crucial all volunteers check the description of a posted opportunity before signing up! Half days, holiday hours, and additional information will all be posted. This is also why signing up online in advance is so important!
· Any unexpected or sudden changes in shifts or cancellations will be sent directly to volunteers who have signed up.
Background checks:
· Background checks are required to work with clients. All volunteers— current and incoming— who would like to work with clients (This includes two volunteer types: Individuals interested in working with clients & Clinic) must submit a background check! If you’ve submitted and had a background check approved between October 2023-September 2024 you will not need to re-submit your background check. We will go in and approve it manually. Until approved, your application will say “Background Check Consent” is “In Progress” (and highlighted in yellow).
· We understand some volunteers may be uncomfortable sending in their background check over email/digitally. If so, volunteers can print the background check and bring the physical/printed copy to GRACE Main (837 E Walnut St, Grapevine, TX 76051).
Upcoming Opportunities:
We have a lot of fun seasonal opportunities posted on Voly, in addition to our year-round opportunities:
- Set up & Decorating | NOW – Dec 3rd (Closed Nov 28th – 29th. Early Closure Nov 27th and Dec 3rd)
- Shopping with Clients & Back End | Dec 4th – 20th (Half Days on Saturdays and Friday, Nov 20th)
- One shopping day with extended hours | Dec 12th (3 shifts): 8:15-12:00 | 12:45-4:00 | 3:45-7:00
Be on the lookout for future postings on our Friends & Family Program, Client Services, and more!
We can’t wait to see where this new system will take us, and we appreciate all of your support as we move forward!
For any questions relating to Voly or volunteering with GRACE, please contact the GRACE Volunteer Coordinator at Volunteer@GRACEGrapevine.org
