Volunteer, in depth

An opportunity runs in one of two modes. In sign-up mode, volunteers pick their own shifts. In assigned mode, a leader builds the schedule and volunteers take open positions or receive assignments.

A coordinator creates an opportunity with a seven-step wizard: basic information, schedule, jobs, requirements, visibility, appearance and review. The wizard saves answers in the browser while the coordinator types, so a timed-out session does not lose the work. Publish makes the opportunity live at once. The app has no draft state, so the visibility choice matters.

Each opportunity holds one or more roles, such as greeter or setup. Each role has its own count of people needed and can have its own days and times. The wizard shows how many shifts and openings the roles create.

An opportunity can repeat weekly, every two weeks or monthly. The wizard lists the exact dates before the coordinator publishes. Editing a role's schedule later adds shifts. It never changes or removes shifts that already carry sign-ups.

The calendar shows green for a day with an open shift, red for a full day and grey for a past day. A full shift has no Sign Up button. Every time shows in the parish time zone.

A coordinator can set rules for each opportunity.

• Visibility. Open means every signed-in parishioner. Closed means invited people only. Private means members of the owning ministry only.
• Requirements. The coordinator can require safe environment training, a background check, food safety or CPR. Custom requirements and waivers are also possible. The volunteer confirms each one in the sign-up dialog. If the parish records show a requirement is not met, the sign-up stops.
• Approval. A coordinator can require approval. The shift then shows as Pending until a leader confirms it.
• Limits. A coordinator can cap the jobs one person holds, and can allow sign-up for all open dates of a role in one step.
• Conflicts. If a volunteer already holds a shift at the same time, the app warns first. The volunteer can continue anyway.

If a shift fills while a volunteer decides, the app says so and keeps the shift selected for another try.

A leader can share a link. Anyone can read the page without signing in. When the leader allows it, a guest can sign up with a name, an email address, a phone number and a security check. Each guest sign-up uses one check.

A leader can also invite a person. The invited person sees a banner to accept or decline. Closed opportunities appear only to invited people.

A volunteer who cannot serve has three choices.

• Unregister. The shift leaves the volunteer's schedule and the spot opens. The app cannot undo this.
• Request Filler. The shift appears in a Shifts needing coverage box, and any eligible volunteer can take it. Only a leader can undo the request.
• Ask someone. The volunteer names one person to take the shift or to trade shifts. That person gets an email, and a text message if the parish has a number. The shift stays with the first volunteer until the other person accepts. The person can answer a cover request by text with YES or NO.

An accepted trade swaps both shifts together, or neither. The app blocks a cover or a trade that puts a person on a date they marked as unavailable.

On shift day, a confirmed volunteer taps Check in on My Schedule. A leader can also mark attendance, including a no-show, from the roster. My Schedule keeps past shifts on a Past tab.

Each opportunity sets a reminder lead time from 1 to 168 hours. The default is 2 hours. A volunteer in a scheduled ministry can set a personal reminder time, a monthly limit and date ranges when they cannot serve.

Three kinds of staff manage volunteers.

• A Volunteer Admin sees every opportunity in one table with filters. A Reports tab shows totals and each status as a share.
• A ministry leader, or a co-administrator named on the opportunity, runs the roster, marks attendance, messages a person or a whole shift and sends invitations. A co-administrator cannot add more co-administrators.
• In assigned mode, a leader opens the Scheduler. It shows a grid with one row for each Mass and one column for each position, tied to the Mass calendar. A cancelled Mass is locked.

The scheduler greys out a minister who is not qualified or who is unavailable. Auto-fill proposes assignments and saves nothing until the leader accepts. The Distribution and Conflicts panels show who holds too many shifts and which positions break a rule. A schedule period stays a silent draft until the leader chooses Publish and notify. Then each assigned minister gets one message.

A leader can print a roster, with open seats marked, or download a CSV file. The printout hides contact details. The CSV file includes email addresses and phone numbers, so a leader keeps it private.