Extensions, indeed! This month we will investigate extensions -- the computer kind. We'll also visit a volunteer program website from county government. So, read on, as we utilize technology to extend our workplace duties and every day life.

Each computer file has a file extension. This way, your computer will know which program to use to open which file. Sometimes though, when you get a file in E-mail or download a file and try to open it, you get a message that asks what program to use to open the file. This happens because you don't have a file association, which simply means that you don't have a program that is capable of opening that type of file. Programs can only open certain files. If the program is not designed to open a gif file then it will not.

Montgomery County Maryland Solid Waste Service http://www.mcrecycles.org/volunteer reaches out to "green" volunteers asking for assistance with its many recycling efforts!

This clear, concise site has informational links listing Volunteer Opportunities, including volunteering as the "Digger the Worm," costume character! (Have I ever mentioned I dressed-up as a Smurf once?) The opportunities list duties and what type of commitment is required.

There is a Calendar of Events and Recycletter -- a bimonthly newsletter downloaded using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is free on the Internet. A convenient volunteer application is online. An information form where individuals indicate which opportunities they are interested in is also online.

One nice feature of this site that the benefits of volunteering with Montgomery County Maryland Solid Waste Service are listed right on the front page.

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.