transitions: a place for dreams

Technical Description: You Can Volunteer!

 

 

mindmap with project elements discussed below

 

 

Current elements in our project plan. All features will be available in Second Life as well.

While some of the elements (such as "Assistance setting up email") will be taken care of by project partners, a number of the elements can benefit from programming assistance. We have prioritized the assistance that we would like to have. We don't need to have all of the elements developed at once.

 

1. We could use the Google Mashup Editor (GME) as a wrapper to tie the elements of the site together in an efficient, visually pleasing manner. We'd want to integrate the AJAX search into the GME (this is labeled "Search local services: Widget Tool" on the map above.)

The purpose would be to allow visitors to our site to find local resources (shelters, food banks, educational opportunities, etc.) We will provide a set of directories to prioritize in the search, but would want to draw on the rest of what Google can access as well.

 

2. We would like to use the GME to format the results of local searches in a printable document that libraries could offer, and to integrate a map as part of the booklet.

 

3. We would like to integrate feeds from homeless bloggers/displaced persons. (This is labeled "News by the Displaced Worldwide RSS" on the map above.)

We understand that the GME would allow us to give trusted people the right to add comments on our site. If we understand correctly, we could even list trusted people in a spreadsheet that could be easily updated and that would be read from by the application.

 

4. We plan a pilot project, A Place for Dreams, that will take place in Second Life and that will draw from the mentoring experience of project partners to allow homeless/displaced persons to create virtual businesses. For the businesses we would use Googlebase (to list products for sale) and Google Checkout.

Additional features will be added gradually and the tools further tweaked. For instance, we'd like to:

-- allow service providers the option of commenting on their services and even adding video via Google Earth
-- add tags to the search results that say "information valid as of [last date checked]"
-- allow users to comment on services

 

contact information

 

In Kenzo (inkenzo @ gmail.com) provides design and development assistance along with mentorship and planning behind the scenes.

Ozma Malibu (Sandra Andrews at the Hackathon, floaters @ asu.edu) provides technology assistance for those in transition through Floaters in Phoenix, AZ, and is our pilot program curriculum lead.

Kali Izdiak at Community Voicemail provides free phone numbers and voicemail to make the life stabilization and job search process easier.

Buffy Beale with Bridges for Women will mentor new project participants, especially formerly battered/abused women.

Ren Javelin of the Faith Foundation, IHave NoLand of Street Smart Detroit, Rhiannon and Amulius at Vesuvius and many other volunteers from the Nonprofit Commons have provided technical and planning assistance as we gather these resources for this mashup. We've talked to Kiva about providing technical assistance for the microloan business model and many virtual professionals have offered time, equipment and talent to help this project grow.