WAYNESBORO—Understanding the needs of our community has become easier thanks to a partnership between Waynesboro Community & Human Services (WCHS) and Solvo Consulting Services.
WCHS has been serving southern Franklin County for nearly a century. Last year, WCHS distributed over 69,000 pounds of food, welcomed 2,215 visits to the clothing bank, completed 1,512 in-home nursing visits, helped 419 families with rent or utilities, and filled 6,942 backpacks with nutritious food for children within the Waynesboro Area School District.
Collecting, collating, and analyzing data for such robust programs took days each month, until Kurt Johnson, a process engineer at Citi and WCHS volunteer, envisioned a solution.
“Data is so important in helping us connect neighbors with services, understanding trends, allocating resources more efficiently, and reporting to stakeholders,” says Morgan Hovermale, who was appointed WCHS’s executive director in January 2023.
Working with then-executive director Denise Esser, Johnson began by understanding how data is used to track food, clothing, and emergency financial programs. He approached the board of directors about investing in an upgraded system.
“During the pandemic, we implemented an online food bank ordering system and remote-based client services, so we are more receptive now to how investments in technology can increase our capacity to serve more people, and serve them better,” added Hovermale.
With board approval, Esser and Johnson interviewed five companies to implement their vision. Solvo Consulting Services, a process improvement company specializing in nonprofits, was selected. Solvo worked closely with WCHS for four months to configure and customize Non-Profit Service Cloud from Salesforce to meet the needs of WCHS.
The new system, called SERV, was launched in June 2022 and has saved over 100 hours in staff time. A similar upgrade is underway for WCHS’s in-home nursing program.
“This project exemplifies success as Solvo defines it—the investment in efficiency directly results in more people with access to healthful food, warm clothing, and quality medical care. We are excited to replicate that success with other nonprofits,” remarked Christy Postell, Founder of Solvo Consulting Service.
To access WCHS services, sign up for upcoming holiday programs, or donate or sponsor a WCHS program, visit wchs-pa.org or call (717) 762-6941. Solvo Consulting Services, LLC was founded with the goal to enable good organizations to do good things by implementing people, process and technology solutions within small and medium businesses. To learn more about how Solvo can support your nonprofit or growing business contact [email protected].
