Greenwich Women Launch The Volunteer Service

The Volunteer Service (TVS) launched this week, providing Greenwich volunteers and organizations with an easy way to connect and collaborate. Founded by Debra A. McLaughlin, Hadley Mongell, Anne Silvey Franscioni and Heather Woodbridge of Greenwich, the online platform enables prospective volunteers to search for and find opportunities that fit their schedules and skillsets, while also enabling organizations to reach a larger pool of talented supporters and volunteers.

Co-founders McLaughlin, Mongell, Silvey Franscioni and Woodbridge are active members of the Greenwich community and have been involved in various charities and community initiatives for more than 45 years combined.

“We were consistently asked where and how to volunteer and give back to the community. Recognizing the need for an easier way to find opportunities, we created TVS to simplify the volunteering process and make it more accessible, while helping all of the many wonderful organizations and causes in Greenwich get the support they need,” said Woodbridge.

Prospective volunteers register for monthly or annual memberships to gain access to an easily searchable database, which can be filtered by criteria such as age of volunteer, location, type of organization, activity, time of day, etc. TVS offers three membership types: Adult (ages 18-64), Senior (ages 65+) and Family (all ages). Adult and Senior memberships are for individual users; Family memberships include access for up to two adults and four children. Volunteer hours are tracked through the site and users can obtain letters showing proof of service hours from TVS for schools, honor societies and other requirements. Volunteer opportunities can range from one-time beach clean-ups to weekly tutoring and involve all age groups. To sign up for a volunteer opportunity, users click the BECOME A TVS VOLUNTEER button on the website.

Through the TVS website, organizations are (1) able to create their own profile and track volunteer sign ups, (2) create and edit volunteer events, (3) notified with new volunteer sign-ups, and (4) have reminder emails sent to volunteers who have signed up. The organization receives a $20 donation from TVS if a volunteer does not show. The service is free for organizations.

Discounted annual memberships are available for adult, senior and family levels. Memberships start at $9/month for seniors, $12/month for adults and $20/month for families.

“Through The Volunteer Service, we hope to foster a greater social awareness of the volunteer needs in the community, and provide the opportunity for more families and individuals to become involved with local organizations,” said Woodbridge.

For more information or to sign up for TVS, visit www.thevolunteerservice.comor email info@thevolunteerservice.com.