New Online Resource Makes it Easy to Find Volunteer Opportunities at the Jersey Shore

When healthcare writer and marketing consultant Doug Jung moved to the Jersey Shore from the Princeton area in 2009, he quickly noticed the need for a go-to online resource where people living in the Central Jersey and the Jersey Shore areas could easily locate volunteer opportunities. On July 3 of this year, with the help of his co-developer and graphic designer Conni Wynn-Smith, the new Shore Can Help website (www.shorecanhelp.com) was launched to do just that.

“When I got down here I started volunteering occasionally. I would go to a soup kitchen or Habitat for Humanity. For me to find out what was happening I had to ask around and go on separate websites for each event,” said Jung.

As he continued to volunteer, people started to ask him if he knew of other volunteer activities.

“There was not a single simple online resource I came across for people living in this area to find volunteer opportunities.”

So, he had an idea. He would use his marketing background and love for volunteering to make finding volunteer opportunities in the area easy. Now, he just needed to call it something special. For a name, he reached out to his friends via Facebook and networking, and thus the name “Shore Can Help” evolved.

“People know what they can expect with our name. They are going to be able to find ways to help others near or at the shore. Thus, Shore-Can-Help,” he said.

He also met a graphic designer who became Shore Can Help co-developer - Conni Wynn-Smith, who helped design the site’s look and feel. The key strategy for its design was easy navigation. When visitors get to the homepage they see a “virtual volunteer rolodex” (rotating cards) and can click through it. Each card lists a community event or something an organization needs help with. When clicked on, the card takes visitors to the organization that is sponsoring the event to find out more information.

“We are a match maker between people who want to do volunteer work locally and the organizations who need the volunteers,” said Jung.

Smith refers to it as “a resource for people who are volunteer minded and want to give their time to the local community and for organizations needing volunteers to solicit help.”

Organizations who need volunteers can visit the site at www.shorecanhelp.com and select the “list your event” tab located at the top right of the main page to list their event for free. At zero cost, anyone can utilize the website to find opportunities.

“We monitor the opportunities that organizations post for listing but we will most likely post them all as we see appropriate,” said Jung.

Currently, Coastal Habitat for Humanity, Clean Ocean Action and Trinity Church’s Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry are looking for volunteers. Jung hopes more organizations will submit their event listings to Shore Can Help, and together make a difference at the Jersey Shore and Central Jersey areas.