Random Acts, Genealogical Kindness
Free Local Family History Help from RAOGK Volunteers
Dec 24, 2007
RAOGK - Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
Often, researching family history means looking for records, places, and people far from where the researcher lives. Amateur and professional genealogists alike have all wished for some "on the spot" help with remote family history questions.
The organization Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is an internet meeting place where volunteers list the tasks they are willing to do locally. For example, a number of volunteers will take photographs of headstones in local cemeteries, or do look-ups in local libraries. People needing help with research in a place far from their home can contact a local volunteer from the RAOGK list and make their request.
There are RAOGK volunteers all over the U.S.A. and elsewhere in the world. It is a successful and growing organization filling a former gap in the genealogy world.
Volunteers Helping Others
Family history is a pastime that inevitably brings people together through common interests. In the pre-internet days, queries to far-off places used to go by mail. It was always much easier if the researcher had a personal connection with the place in question. The local family history societies were, and still are, an excellent way of making that connection, particularly if the interest is long-term. However, for one-off requests, or where there is no friendly local history society available, RAOGK is a particularly effective resource.
The research done through RAOGK is entirely performed by volunteers. RAOGK itself provides the website where volunteers are listed, by location, with a description of what they are willing to do. RAOGK has a list of reasonable rules for both the volunteers and those seeking information. For example, volunteers are entitled to expect payment of their out of pocket expenses, but never their time. Those asking for help are not to ask the same question of more than one volunteer. These are typical of the rules, which are there to make sure the system works smoothly.
Giving Back to the Genealogy Community
Participating as a volunteer for RAOGK is a very easy way to give back to the community for any help a genealogist may have received from others. The volunteer chooses exactly how to describe the services they will offer, and may withdraw or change the description as they see fit. The requests are sent to the volunteers by email via the RAOGK website. Once the connection has been made, the requester and the volunteer communicate between themselves. RAOGK makes this communication possible.
RAOGK is Supported by Shop Sales and Donations
RAOGK does not ask for payment from the requesters nor from the volunteers. The site stays in operation through the persistence of its founders, Bridgett and Dale Schneider. They have two on-line shops for genealogy products, and they often express their appreciation for the support of donors.
How to Get Free Help From RAOGK Volunteers
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness exists to help people obtain copies of documents or any other information (e.g. pictures of tombstones) that cannot easily be obtained in the researcher's own area. To make use of this service, simply find a volunteer who lives in or near the location of interest, from the list on the RAOGK website, and follow the instructions for making a request. It's that easy.
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