Weekend for Good 2024

Weekend for Good is a yearly initiative by Code for Good West Michigan that connects skilled volunteers with area non-profits to improve aspects of their digital presence. While I've always been interested in volunteering, this year was the first year I took the leap. As the mother of a baby and a very energetic toddler I've wondered: why didn't I take more advantage of the flexible availability that I had in my 20s? Good question.

Knowing it would be difficult to volunteer for any length of time in-person, I reached out to a board member (and friend) to see if there was any way I could possibly help virtually. While it wasn't standard practice, they were enthusiastic about finding a way for me to get plugged in, and before I knew it, I was the newest team member working on the Autism Support of Kent County (ASK) project.

I didn't know what to expect leading up to the weekend, having not volunteered before, but dove in head first, getting some exploratory inspiration out of my brain and into Figma. After the kickoff meeting Friday night, plans were outline and the website refresh was whipped into shape, inspired by some of my initial work. how exciting!

Overall, it was a whirlwind weekend that I loved being part of, even working from home with a three-year-old over my shoulder asking "Mom!?" questions every other minute. We helped ASK update their branding and apply it to their existing Squarespace site. While Squarespace is not my favorite platform as a developer, it allowed us to work quickly and get a lot done since everything was already set up for it. By the time Sunday rolled around and project presentations commenced, ASK was equipped with an updated website and an asset kit to help them apply their new branding across their other platforms.

I'm thankful to Code for Good letting me participate in an atypical way, and ASK for being a great nonprofit to work with! Hopefully I'll be able to volunteer next year, too.