CURRENT VOLUNTEER NUMBERS

Welcome aboard all new volunteers; we are really glad to have you.
We currently have 4338 volunteers across the globe. During the month
of August to date we welcomed 128 new volunteers. Fifty-three
volunteers were removed due to the newsletter bouncing back to us
(user unknown, mailbox full March and April, and hosts unknown);
staff removed 5 for being non-responsive or having bad e-mail
addresses; 51 members decided to leave the project voluntarily.
The staff doesn't ask too much from the volunteers; just keep us
posted on any changes you may have by going to
http://www.raogk.org/change.html instead of writing to us directly.
Also, as always, please be sure to acknowledge receipt of a request,
whether you can fulfill the request or not.

APOLOGIES

It never fails, whenever one of these newsletters go out I get a few
messages from volunteers who think I am talking specifically about
them (when dealing with a problem) or have made a few angry about a
subject matter. I will now make my apologies to anyone that I may
offend with this newsletter.  For your information, I never write
about a problem unless we have received several messages from
different people that pertain to a problem. No one volunteer is
singled out and written about for all the world to see.


VACATION TIME

This newsletter is being sent out about 6 days early due to the fact
that I will not be at my computer at the end of the month.  I am off
to see my daughters and grandchildren who live in the State of Virginia.
Except for flying, I am looking forward to this trip as it has been
*several* years since I've seen my kids and grand kids. You will still
be able to get in touch with other staff members and their contact
information can be found http://www.raogk.org/vol.htm


FEEDBACK

As always, I get feedback from these newsletters and July's (http://www.raogk.org/newsletters/2003-07.txt) was no different.
That newsletter contained a paragraph on getting back to basics with
the site. In essence if we got back to the basic understanding of
volunteering for this site that was originated when the site was
created, then a lot of the charges that were being assessed to the
requester would not exist.  Comments came in that "times have changed"
to "you've got to be kidding." However, some folks did send in a few
suggestions as to how they handle some of the problems that caused
some of those assessments to be made.

What I was really trying to get across in my paragraph was the reason
we don't allow charges being made for gas. In one county where the
number of volunteers are many, the correspond with each other. If one
gets a request that may be many miles away from her location she writes
the group to see if someone isn't closer that would do the lookup instead.
I don't think the requester minds which volunteer does the request, as
long as the request is fulfilled.

If you must send feedback, please do NOT hit the REPLY button, send a
message to raogk-admin@raogk.org. If you absolutely, positively need
to hit the REPLY button, please please delete the newsletter (I don't
need a copy of it) and change the subject line to something more
appropriate (e-mail filters don't know it isn't the newsletter, so it
goes to a folder rarely opened).


SUPPORTERS

Take a look at all the supporters we have
http://www.raogk.org/supporters.html -- I would like to thank all those
volunteers who are listed on this page again for their support (some
have sent in multiple donations, and several send in monthly).  Every
little bit helps.  If you would like to have your name also listed on
this page find out how: http://www.raogk.org/support.html


THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

For being such a great group of people. We get message every day about
how one volunteer or another has broken down a brick wall or two for
someone. It is a very good feeling to receive them. The area on the
site where folks can report their good fortune with our volunteers
keeps on growing and growing and growing.
http://www.raogk.org/guestbook/


Until next month,

THE RAOGK STAFF
Bridgett (Admin), Alison, Anja, Betty, Bill, Madlyn, Michele,
Mollie, Valorie and Doc (techie)