Greetings, all,
First things first: we owe a few of you an apology. We adjusted the date on our web site myneighbors.cc to let potential Members know that we are setting May 31 as the due date for membership fees. Unbeknownst to us the web site generated an automatic email that went out to some members of the Pilot Program. We did not intend for this to happen so please accept our apology. Part of the learning curve of the Pilot Program has been that making changes on the web site often creates unintended consequences!
From the beginning, one of our goals has been to minimize the amount of money needed to run MY Neighbors. We have gone a long way toward realizing this already. We have a functioning “virtual office” that utilizes a Google Voice phone and inexpensive collaborative software. Our office is staffed by eleven Call Managers who answer the phone and match Volunteers with service requests.
I remember thinking several months ago that if we ended 2017 with 30 Members I’d consider our first year a success. As we enter the last two weeks of the Pilot Program, we currently have 29 Members with one new membership pending, so we are already way ahead of my expectations. We also have 25 Volunteers who are actively filling service requests. As of this writing we have filled 64 service requests. Just as we anticipated, approximately half are for transportation. If you are a Volunteer who has only fulfilled a service request or two, things may seem slow. But the pace is likely to increase as we open our “virtual doors” to the public in May.
As you know no membership fees have been required during the three month Pilot Program. Instead of a fee we are asking Pilot Members to provide feedback for us on the program. What’s working for you, what still needs to be improved? If you are part of the Pilot Program you have already received a survey soliciting feedback on your experiences. Please remember to complete the survey and return it to Karin Rolett.
We hope that in May members of the Pilot will transition to regular Membership in MY Neighbors, and that others will join us as we open to the public. Even though we are a low budget organization by design, we still have to pay our bills. Insurance, especially for Volunteer drivers, remains our largest expense at over $2000 per year. Reimbursements for mileage, membership in the National Village to Village Network, and promotional materials to get the word out about MY Neighbors comprise other substantial line items in the budget.
For 2017 we have set the annual Membership fee at $100 for an individual and $150 for a household. (Some single folks have asked why households pay less per person. The rationale is that households tend to request fewer services per person.) The easiest way to pay is to write a check made out to “MY Neighbors” and to mail it to P.O. Box 686, Burnsville, NC 28714.
We are also working to enable credit card payments via the web site. I’ll send a separate email with details on to the Interest List as soon as this function is set up.
A reminder that there are no fees for services, even if they involve transportation to Asheville. The annual fee covers your Membership and all service requests for one year. We ask Members to limit their service requests to two per week, but so far we have been able to fill service requests quickly and with relative ease.
What if you don’t feel like you need services, or aren’t ready to join? That’s fine. You can support MY Neighbors by being a Volunteer. Or if you can afford it, join anyway to financially support us and to help MY Neighbors get off the ground. (As some of us have experienced already, the difference between being a Volunteer and a Member in need of services is only one false step, one slip, or one accident.)
Finally—the fee is not intended to be an obstacle to Membership. It can be reduced or waived for those who cannot afford it or feel it will prevent them from joining. If you have financial questions or need assistance, please give us a call at 828 295 2412.
Thank you for continuing this journey with us as Volunteers and Members as we open to the public in May.
Chip Poston
Board Chair