Volunteers, organizations connect through the Web

By Josh Holderbaum
Western Herald

People looking to volunteer and organizations in need of volunteers have a new way of contacting each other on a Web site founded by Western Michigan University graduates.
Homeingle (www.homeingle.com) was founded in early 2008 by Bob Armbrister, Emily Butkus and Jacob Lonc, all WMU alumni.

“We thought about it about one year ago,” said Armbrister, co-founder and CEO of Homeingle.com, LLC. “How can we connect people with their community? How can we take these tools to the people? We can’t make people pay for it, so why not do businesses too?”

All three previously worked for Auxillary Enterprises, with Armbrister and Lonc doing computer support and Butkus doing design.
The site is intended to help develop networks between volunteers and organizations.

“We’ve combined three different groups: organizations and volunteers, groups and organizations, such as non-profits, and organizations and businesses, such as businesses that offer banquet services or anything else an organization might need for an event,” Armbrister said.

Armbrister, a 2006 graduate in electronic business design, had no problem bringing things together.

“After I graduated I worked as a tech consultant for hospitality resorts,” Armbrister said. “I had to bring all sorts of systems together there.”

The site allows individuals to create profile pages and have the option of labeling themselves as volunteers and listing what skills and abilities they have.
Organizations can also create pages for themselves and for events, listing how many volunteers or other services they need from businesses, such as catering.
Volunteers, organizations and businesses could then all search for areas in which they are needed or search for a volunteer or business that fits their need. Both parties must agree to the services and tasks can be delegated to volunteers who can either accept or reject responsibility for them.

All information is kept private until both parties accept the volunteering, but Armbrister has found people are still somewhat wary of the site.

“It’s really funny when you spread the word about a new service because people always ask, ‘What’s the catch?’” Armbrister said.

So far the site has around 150 registered individuals, 20 percent of whom are volunteers, and 10 to 20 groups and events, the majority of which need volunteers, Armbrister said.
While the service is free to individuals, businesses must pay a membership fee to be on the site.

“We want to position it so that these businesses are supportive of the community,” Armbrister said. “Businesses must have a membership to contact people. This is a way to get seen locally, and with this economy it can’t hurt to be listed.”

Eventually, the site will also allow organizations to rate volunteers based on work ethic, reliability and the number of times they have volunteered.
Armbrister would like to see the site remain a strong center for communities.

“I’d like to see it be something an entire community could revolve around,” Armbrister said. “How many arms can we branch off of this to support people?”

WMU students would also be looked at as employees or interns if the site takes off, Armbrister said. The site may also put WMU in the big leagues when it comes to Web site development.

“Google started at Stanford [University] and Facebook started at Harvard; why not put WMU on the map?” Armbrister said.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=4047

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Feb 17 2009. Filed under Campus, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com