Bloomington Volunteer Network had its beginnings in 1980 during the administration and with the warm support of Mayor Frank McCloskey. Developed under the leadership of Geri Wells and attached to the City's Human Resources Department, it was originally named the "Bloomington Volunteer Action Center." 80 social service agencies were affiliated with the Center, to which it referred volunteers after extensive screening. At the time, Bloomington was only the second municipality in the country to sponsor such a facility, the other being New York. After a year of operations, the Center was placing volunteers with the agencies at a rate of 30 to 40 per month.
Wells defined the Center's goal as follows: "The primary function of the BVAC is recruitment and referral of volunteers to not-for-profit social service agencies . However, it is the philosophy of the Human Resources Department that in order to ensure positive volunteer experiences, it is essential also to provide educational opportunities for agency staff to learn more about volunteer program management and to help volunteers become more aware of their responsibilities and commitments. Furthermore, the BVAC must constantly strive to improve community awareness and support of volunteerism in general."
The name was changed to Bloomington Volunteer Network in 1994, and the facility's function was expanded to help agencies "network through sharing information and resources," according to the then director, Beth Neu. 130 agencies and programs had signed up with the Network, which also enhanced its promotional program. According to Neu, "we're spending more time encouraging volunteering through an advertising campaign, going door-to-door and business-to-business with brochures and posters, and with banners hanging all over town urging volunteering." In 1998 the municipal parent department's name was also changed, to Community and Family Resources Department.
Through the years a close cooperative relationship developed between the Network and the Indiana University Volunteer Student Bureau, which subsequently extended to other University departments encouraging community service, such as the Kelley School of Business, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Student Organizations and Leadership Development and the Office of Service Learning.
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