It is interesting to me how in almost any discussion of technology there is a reference to our social lives. As volunteer managers, we are working for a social life more desirable than our own.

This month we will discover how, in using technology, we can improve the social life around us.

• We will visit a site that has greeting cards just for volunteers.
• We will also discover how lives are being improved on an international level through technology.
• Lastly, The Marion County, Oregon, volunteer services site shares opportunities for citizens to improve their community life.

So, let's continue to build a social life more desirable than our own.

Although sending greeting cards through cyberspace is as old as the web itself, selecting cards specifically for volunteers is relatively new. The Thanks Company, http://www.thankscompany.com, has a nice selection of free greeting E-cards. To find these, on the main page, under "Etc." on the left side column, click on "Free E-cards" today!

The United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITes), http://www.UNITes.org, is a global volunteer initiative that allows volunteers from any country to give their skills and time to extend the opportunities of the digital revolution to developing countries.

Here are just a few initiatives in which volunteers are using technology to improve the world:

• Empowering Women and Girls in Poor Communities through Information Delivery and Dialogue in Asia
• Community TeleCenters for Neighborhoods in Quito
• Development of the Virtual Health Library in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Support for Harnessing ICT (Information and communication technologies) for Sustainable Livelihoods in Mongolia

Marion County in Oregon, http://www.open.org/mcvol, has an informative volunteer services site. Volunteer Co-ordinator, Glenis Chapin's contact information is easily accessible, something not always apparent on sites.

In addition the site lists Current and Ongoing Opportunities which include Victim Advocates, Park Clean Up, Mentors, GED Tutors and Spanish Speaking Translators. Also included are volunteer positions that are often forgotten in other organizations, Advisory Board openings. All of these include a synopsis of the position.

The site also asks, Who is a Marion County volunteer? The answer fits everyone: Youth, Adults, Families, Students and Groups.

Georgean is a trainer and consultant in the areas of nonprofit management and volunteer involvement. She holds a Master's degree in Education/Staff Training and Development and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Indiana University.

Georgean is an Adjunct Faculty member of Ivy Tech State College with the Business and Industry Training Department. Her articles have been published in the Florida Libraries Journal and The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances.

Georgean conducts national and regional workshops on Train-the-Trainer, Customer Service, Conflict Management, Staff/ Volunteer Relations, Fundamentals of Volunteer Management, Family Volunteering, Trends in Volunteerism, and other aspects of Volunteer Management.

Georgean is immediate Past Chairperson of the National Government Volunteer Coordinator Advisory Committee for the Points of Light Foundation in Washington, DC. She is Past Chairperson and Founding Officer of Northeast Indiana Association of Volunteer Administration, a professional membership organization representing 60 nonprofit/voluntary organizations. She is a member of the Association for Volunteer Administration, the Points of Light Foundation, and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.

Prior to starting her training and consulting company she served for several years as the Manager of Volunteer Services in healthcare, library, and social service organizations, leading programs of 500 volunteers.