App transforms homeless charity's volunteer management

Beddown, an Australian charity currently supporting homeless people in Brisbane (and soon in Sydney), has partnered with Humanforce to make the volunteering experience as easy as possible with a new mobile app.

The charity repurposes spaces that are busy during the day, but vacant at night — such as car parks — into pop-up accommodation, so some of Brisbane’s more than 5,000 homeless can have a sheltered, secure, safe and comfortable place to get a good night’s rest.

Beddown also works with other charitable organisations that provide complementary services such as laundry and showers, food and beverages, health and wellbeing, clothing and more.

“Many of the homeless suffer from sleep deprivation due to the conditions of sleeping rough and this can lead to a range of physical and mental health conditions,” explained Norm McGillivray, Beddown Founder.

“We believe that everyone deserves a safe bed to sleep in, and by providing this, we aim to help restore the health, dignity and respect of our guests.

“We are able to provide Beddown’s services with the support of a range of partners,” McGillivray added.

“Humanforce is donating its technology to help us streamline the volunteering experience, so that we can free up the time of our staff and volunteers so they can focus on supporting our guests.”

The Humanforce mobile app will help Beddown to automate the volunteer experience so that volunteers can quickly and easily communicate with Beddown, show their availability for volunteering, onboard as a new volunteer, as well as accept, swap and cancel volunteer shifts.

The app also makes it easier for Beddown to provide volunteer schedules and process checks such as working with children checks and police checks.

“I’m a big supporter of the work Beddown does, and having been a volunteer myself, I know the importance of making things as easy as possible for the team,” said Andrew Williams, Sales Director of Humanforce.

“Volunteers, on top of many other life commitments — including full time work, being busy parents, or university commitments — will now be able to more easily manage their volunteering shifts at any time of the day.

“The Humanforce solution will mean volunteers spend less time on the admin side of things and more time doing the things that inspired them to volunteer in the first place: supporting and connecting with Beddown’s guests.”

Humanforce is providing the app software, implementation, training and ongoing support to Beddown free of charge.

“Beddown is changing the lives of Brisbane’s homeless and its volunteers have one of the most important jobs — creating an environment which is welcoming, safe, secure and comfortable for guests,” said Bruce Mackenzie, Founder Humanforce.

“We are proud to be supporting this great cause and ensuring Beddown’s volunteers are able to offer their time in the easiest way possible so they can spend more time supporting the homeless.”

To volunteer with Beddown, visit beddown.org.au/volunteers.