I was thinking that I could have a website that volunteers could find needs and could respond to them. Example: A 92 yr old man's house was damaged by a kitchen fire. I could accept requests for vols. to work on his house. A poor person could ask for vols. to build a wheelchair ramp, etc. Does anybody know of a way to build a website that this at a reasonable price? Any suggestions, any ideas of the cost? Thanks!

Woodie, first off, what a fantastic idea!

So, you asked about costs to build a website, a whole bunch! Designers are not cheap, you could be in it for a few grand or more.

 

But, fortunately for us, there are many ways you can build a website with little costs, and you could do it yourself with just a little gumption and willingness to learn. It really is relatively easy to build, today there are many plug n play platforms, from paid, to open source.

 

Woodie, tell me this, would this be to help folks in your own local area?

Thanks, but it would be for nationwide needs and volunteers to respond to their needs.

Er, I forgot: It would be for the North American Continent. That would include Canada.

Tell me how you think your website would be laid out Woodie, sell me your idea, more information please!  I want to hear how the people would come together on your website, and how you would match up the recipients to the donor, honestly, at first I would start local, then branch out nationally as your energies and time permit, this is a huge undertaking for you, it's not just a matter of firing up a website, and folks connecting, there will be a whole lot of facilitating on your part.

how in the world would the vetting work...

23 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

how in the world would the vetting work...

I think of if Woodie kept it local for now, he could vet personally, interviews etc. Then as his organization starts rolling along, he'll grow with it, and usually the answers appear over time. Not knowing too much about Woodies goals at this point, I think staying local in his county would be a great first step, that way he could be more hands on with the interaction and pairing.

There is a free website called "Next Door" that does something similar. Neighborhood coverage. 

 

https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/

11 hours ago, John Morris said:

Woodie, first off, what a fantastic idea!

one of the better ones that have come along in long while...

Great idea!  Only two words of advice...... liability insurance.   

I have been using a website for almost 30 yrs. to place specific needs on it. I would explain the needs, housing, etc. The interested person/s, church, retired people who want to volunteer, etc. would contact me. This left the website out of the picture other than for me to post my needs/opportunities. So, on my proposed website, people would place their needs and other info. on the website, and people looking for opportunities to help would respond. The website engineers decided that since I was the only one in South Carolina using it, they would delete it from their website. I was very disappointed since I have had as many as 44 mission teams in one year to come to my local area, received a check from Louisiana for $50,000 to replace a roof on a church building, and I had 365 college and high school students one summer and 356 to come the next summer to help me replace roofs, build wheelchair ramps, replace windows, doors, floors, etc. This week I have 30 people from Tennessee rebuilding a fire damaged home of a 92 yr old man's 4 room mill village house. Without that website, I am left without a valuable resource to help the needy. That is the reason I am thinking about setting up one.

Jeez Woodie, this is an awesome venture you are and have been involved in. I had no idea we had such an active philanthropist of time within our midst here, hat off to ya sir.

 

Woodie, how are your own PC skills?

   Thanks, but I am just a Southern Baptist missionary that was assigned the task of helping anyone that has needs. I have retired from the North American Mission Board, but I cannot retire until the devil does!

   Well, this is what I decided: I will contact the professor that helped me a few years ago. He called Amanda, a student of his, and told her that she had to do a ten week internship as a summer missionary or she was going to fail his class. She ended up working for me that next year by supervising the other ones. I will see if he has someone about to fail because, like Amanda, they have waited until the last minute to do their internship. I am sure that he will find someone for me. I will let you guys know how this works out.