IT’S THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLIC DATABASE!
It’s
been a year since the Haldimand and Norfolk Community Information Database made
its on-line debut. Following the launch events at both the Haldimand-Norfolk
Information Centre and the Dunnville branch of Haldimand County Library in June
2003, the Database has proven an invaluable resource for information and
referral providers across Haldimand and Norfolk counties; a powerful tool in
finding up-to-date community information.
By
the end of August 2004, the public will have searched the Database over 200,000
times!
The
Haldimand Norfolk Information Centre is celebrating the first anniversary of the
public launch of its vast Community Information Database with the addition of an
exciting new feature.
The
Information Centre’s comprehensive database of human service and community
resource information now allows users to search for volunteer opportunities in
Haldimand, Norfolk and Brant counties.
Traditionally the
Information Centre collected postings of community volunteer opportunities in a
binder, developments in our Community Information Database software have allowed
us to bring this service to an exciting new level of accessibility. Nearly
1,500 volunteer positions are already listed on the database in 22 categories
ranging from Education and Animals, to Health and Sports.
The easy-to-use search
process makes it easier than ever to invest in the community through
volunteering. From the normal Community Information Database search page, click
on “Search Volunteer
Opportunities” along the left-hand column to begin your customized
search.
Prospective volunteers
can enter the days and hours of the week that are most convenient for them, as
well as the location and type of position desired. Each volunteer listing is
accompanied by a detailed description of the position as well as the contact
information for the organization itself.
After finding a position
that suits an individual’s schedule and interests, applying to volunteer is as
simple as a click of the mouse on the button marked “YES, I’D LIKE TO
VOLUNTEER!”
The new Volunteer Opportunities feature of the
database may be particularly helpful for high school students seeking to fulfill
their community involvement requirements for their OSSD. In fact, clicking on
“Student Volunteers” from the Volunteer Opportunities start page will
immediately narrow down the search to those positions that are designated as
suitable for the OSSD volunteer component.
An official launch of the
Volunteer Database is in the planning stages, but in the meantime, the system is
up and running and available for the use of both organizations and prospective
volunteers. We encourage you to browse this new Database feature, and post any
volunteer positions you might have available at your organization!
APRIL
2004
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL
INCOME TAX SEASON
The annual Income Tax Clinics
provided through the Haldimand Norfolk Information Centre were a tremendous
success again this year, thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers.
This service, offered to individuals and families on a fixed
income within the community, provides assistance in completing income tax
returns.
Eight clinics were hosted at separate locations in Simcoe,
Delhi, Jarvis, Port Dover, Waterford and Caledonia, including a session at the
Norfolk Association for Community Living.
Our volunteers generously donated their time and effort to
complete a record-breaking 700 income tax returns!
The
public database launch was held on Tuesday, June 3rd at the Haldimand
Norfolk Information Centre and later that day at the Dunnville branch of
the Haldimand County Libraries. Many attended and the event was a great
success. Below are some pictures of the event.
The Simcoe Launch
Lynn Hagen -
Community Volunteer Ontario
Trillium Foundation
Rita Kalmbach - Mayor of
Norfolk County
Left to right: Dave Jones HNIC
Volunteer; Nancy Harsanyi - CEO Norfolk County Public Library; Rodney Armstrong -
Constituency Assistant, MPP Toby Barrett's Office; Paul MacCormack -
Department Head for Business and Cooperative Education at Holy Trinity
Catholic High School; Arthur Loughton HNIC Volunteer; Terry Pope - Norfolk County
Library.
Brett Walther -
Project Coordinator
Left to right, back to
front: (not
included in the above photos) Jason Miklavcic, Coop student, Holy Trinity Catholic High School; Valerie Spours,
Executive Director, Haldimand-Norfolk Information Centre; Evelyn Nobbs,
Executive Director, United Way of Haldimand and Norfolk; Muriel Mullins -
Volunteer/Board Member, Haldimand-Norfolk Information Centre
Database Launch
at Dunnville Branch of Haldimand Public Library
Left to right:
Valerie Spours - Executive Director, HNIC; Jason Miklavcic
Coop Student, Holy Trinity Catholic High School; Joyce Gowan -
Dunnville Branch Supervisor; Lynn Harrison - Library Staff, Dunnville
Branch; Paul Diette - Deputy CEO, Haldimand Library; Front: Brett
Walther, Project Coordinator, HNIC
Youngsters helping
themselves to the snacks!
May 31,
2003
Welcome to our
new-look website!
The
hard work and dedication of co-op student,
Jason Miklavcic, has resulted in an attractive and
easily navigable new design.
As well, we have used this opportunity to add some
exciting new features, including the Community Information Database. Click
here to search the
most comprehensive community directory for the two counties.
With thousands
of detailed and up-to-date records on everything from health and social
services to sports and recreation, the database is your first place to
look for the community information you need!
Launch events, featuring demonstrations of the database, are being hosted
on Tuesday June 3rd at the Haldimand Norfolk Information
Centre’s office at 40 Colborne Street South in Simcoe at 10:00 AM, and
again at 3:30 PM at the Dunnville branch of Haldimand County Library at
317 Chestnut Street. The public are encouraged to attend!
Records in the
database are updated annually—or sooner if necessary—by the organizations
themselves to ensure that the information in each listing is accurate and
up-to-date. The database is the same one used by Haldimand Norfolk
Information Centre staff in assisting clients with their information and
referral needs. Information Centre Valerie Spours explains:
"People can
now access this information at anytime from their homes, work, or any
public access terminal. Access to community information for Haldimand and Norfolk
counties is now available
24 / 7. Our staff will continue to serve the information
needs of the general public and community organizations during regular
office hours."
What others are saying about the database...
“I wish to
congratulate the Haldimand Norfolk Information Centre for making the
Information Database available to the public. This is a much needed
service in our area and I am sure that many individuals and associations
who require this type of information will use it.”
-Haldimand Norfolk Brant MP, Bob Speller
“What an easy way to
keep our information up to date on your files. Thanks for making it so
easy!”
-Feedback from an
Organization with a listing on the Database
The Community
Information Online Consortium (CIOC)
The Haldimand Norfolk Information Centre is a
member of CIOC: the Community Information Online Consortium. CIOC’s
membership represents over 50 community agencies managing 23 online
databases which serve the information needs of nearly 75% of Ontario’s
population. The Haldimand and Norfolk Community Information Database
conforms to the comprehensive taxonomy set in place by CIOC which has
become the provincial standard.
One of
the many advantages of being a part of CIOC is the potential for the sharing of
community information across regions. The CIOC
Gateway allows users to search any number of community information databases
across the province, including Niagara, Peel, York and Halton, among others.
The
public launch marks the completion of the first phase of the Database project.
Phase two involves the incorporation of Brant County community information into
the existing database. Parties involved in this phase are the Haldimand Norfolk
Information Centre and the Trillium partners at the Haldimand Community Support
Centre and the Brant Community Information Network.
The Haldimand Norfolk
Information Centre gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario
Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and
Recreation, which receives annually $100 million in government funding generated
through Ontario’s charity casino initiative.
