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BerkshireNonProfits Relaunches With Focus on VolunteeringBy Kathy Keeser
BerkshireNonProfits.com
04:00PM / Tuesday, July 06, 2010
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There is a new way for volunteers to find out online where they are needed most in the city and throughout Berkshire County.
The newly revamped BerkshireNonProfits.com is focused on connecting nonprofit organizations with helping hands. BerkshireNonProfits.com is relaunching as a volunteer coordination website after several months of research and reworking to make it as user-friendly as possible.
Now nonprofits from Berkshire County and the surrounding area can easily post volunteer opportunities online and volunteers can find openings that put their skills to use in the best way possible. The setup is similar to sister site www.BerkshireJobs.com, the No. 1 job search site for the county.
Volunteering is on the rise as the nation recovers from its greatest economic recession since the Great Depression. The Corporation for National and Community Service reported a 1.6 million rise nationwide for volunteers in 2009. Locally, volunteers have always been important in all phases of community life from schools, churches and nonprofits to special community events.
Do you like food and cooking and want to be part of a necessary program? Check out the Berkshire Food Project listing on BerkshireNonProfits.com.
 "Help is needed with food preparation and serving," said Valerie Schwartz, director of Berkshire Food Project, at 413-664-7378. "We serve lunches Mondays through Fridays from 12 to 1 and can use help serving the meals. Help is also needed to help us prepare our hearty lunches from 9 to 12 each day. Whatever amount of time people can spare, from a half hour to a few hours, once a week or every day, anything people can help would be great!"
Help out DownStreetArt as a gallery ambassador. Hang out in one of the city’s avant garde galleries and talk with people visiting North Adams — sound good? Help is especially needed on Saturdays between noon and 2.
Heard about the crowds and the good music coming to town as part of Wilco's Solid Sound Festival?
"Mass MoCA is still looking for help for the Wilco Festival. Volunteers have to be over 18 years of age and are asked to work eight hours over the course of the three-day weekend (one block or two four-hour shifts)," said Meridith Boggia, assistant to the general manager, performing arts, at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. To find out more, check out the Mass MoCA listing on BerkshireNonProfit.com or send inquiries to volunteermassmoca@gmail.com.
For volunteers, BerkshireNonProfits.com allows you to sign up quickly and search area nonprofits or volunteer job listings. Your volunteer information can remain private or part of an online volunteer pool on the site. Your volunteer profile can be sent to the volunteer job opportunity or you can contact the listing site directly.
BerkshireNonProfits.com has additional free services, such as listings with a brief description for nonprofit organizations. New agencies can register by clicking the "Register New Agency" button on the Agencies page. Agencies and organizations trying to get the word out about volunteer openings can post one or more monthly ads for small fee. Click here for a service agreement and more information.
As part of the relaunch, postings made by July 15 will receive an additional free monthly listing in addition to the first month purchased. Volunteer job listings will also be linked to BerkshireJobs.com.
You can also keep up with news about local agencies since iBerkshires.com articles about nonprofits appear under "News" on BerkshireNonProfits.com. We'll also be setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts as the site grows.
BerkshireNonProfits.com, iBerkshires.com and BerkshireJobs.com are a division of Boxcar Media LLC. |
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