Local Support Groups

Freegle has numerous mod and volunteer groups. Nationally there are several on a platform called Discourse - https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/ - which all Freegle volunteers are welcome to join.

It can also be handy to have a smaller online support group for your own Freegle team, or even a county support group.

You can have your own and use them to

• cc (or bc) emails with members
• discuss group policy
• hold polls
• store files
• have a searchable archive of correspondence with tricky members
• organise get-togethers
• try new things out such as databases, home page edits or practice polls
• share local promotional opportunities and ideas

Setting up your own support group

Freegle teams seem to have three main ways of doing this. They either use an io group, Google group or a gmail account.

How to use a gmail account for supporting your team

Put gmail in your search and click set up an account. Use a name which identifies with your group. Ex. (blythfreeglemods@gmail.com) Select a password that is not easy to guess.
Use the email address and make it a moderator on your group(s) with notification of pending members, messages etc.
If you use the plug in put as the cc address.
Set up labels for every groups emails that come in. You can filter and skip the inbox so they just get filed.
Set up labels for Moderator log, members, admins, standard emails, complaints, banned members and anything else.
Have a look at the lab features and see which you may want. Multiple inboxes allow you to keep drafts on show (configure in settings). These can be the logs and emails for checking, and/or one for starred items for the attention of someone else.
Inform your moderators of the email and password.
Use the calendar for them to fill in when they can cover.
Use the google map and mark the area you cover, and areas you allow on etc.
Click on settings and put in your groups signature (tip add an invite to your cafe group with a link)
Example
Warmest wishes
???? freegle mods.
Why not join us for a chat at our  ???cafe?

Each day the last one on clicks on new email and starts a log with the following days date. As each mod reads or acts on anything left for them they can initial it, or each can have a symbol and colour. When all items have been seen or dealt with you just send it to self and file under logs.
Each mod signs on and off.

Advantages
You can put an email address or just the first part in search and all their posts to any of the groups you filter come up.
You can check and approve when you can’t get into Yahoo. If the search isn’t working it doesn’t matter.
When a query about a member comes in for somewhere it is easy to get a trace.
It is a lot quicker than Yahoo usually.
If a moderator does not want the plug in they can still check for crossposting.
It is often easier to get access to google for modding when out and about.
You can see at a glance who is logged in.
New moderators only need to be given access and do not need to change their settings.
You can if you wish all use the addy for moderating from and keep anonymous.
If you send a pending members email out and even if you don’t you can file all the replies and any comments to the joining email.
You can use past information to pop a location on a post if they miss it out.

Do change the password when a volunteer leaves

Don't make the email address the group owner. (Keep that for your own and any co-owners email addy)