Community Services Guide | Portland Civic Design Fest 2017
Project Champion: Emily Felger
What is your project about?
My project is a website to share information about free, low-cost, and sliding scale resources in and around Portland Maine. The website will be set up so that it can be curated by volunteers, as well as accept submissions by the site’s users.
What do you have so far?
I’ve spent the last several years collecting local resources in a spreadsheet that I’ve shared online here: http://bit.ly/2hnOBMS. To start, I want to turn this list into a simple directory website that will present the information in a straightforward, uniform format, as well as allow people to search listings without having to rely on the objectivity of third party search engines. Many small nonprofits have older websites that are not well optimized for search engines, and can be difficult to locate. I have created some rough mockups to experiment with possible site layouts, but I’m not attached to a specific design yet, so I’m open to suggestions!
What do you need?
I need a broad range of help from volunteers of all backgrounds! In particular, I’m looking for:
-People to help add to my list and verify existing listings.
-People who can help figure out the best way to present and organize these listings, so people with experience in social work, graphic design, UX, and web development.
-People who are willing to share their own experiences looking for services in the greater Portland area while broke or on a budget.
The core of the site will be focused on essentials like healthcare, housing, and job placement, but I also want to create listings for places that offer free or reduced-rate classes, cultural organizations that exchange event tickets for volunteer hours, as well as swap meets, tool shares, and any other helpful resource for folks without a lot of money to spend. Anyone is welcome to drop by during the event to submit suggestions for categories and listings. I want to cover as much information as possible!
Don’t forget to RSVP to Portland Civic Design Fest, September 23rd at Mechanics Hall, Portland, Maine. Part of the National Day of Civic Hacking!
Hosted by Code for Maine, Portland Global Shapers, and Maine Charitable Mechanics Association. Sponsored by Ad Hoc, Workplace Transformation Facilitation, Seth Rigoletti: Leadership Coach, Project Login, and IDEXX.
