The Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging
formally announces the launch of its new website designed to serve as an
informative communications tool for all residents of the Northeast Kingdom, and
especially those who support and care for older Vermonters and those with
disabilities. The new website is www.nekcouncil.org
.
The website features expanded content
including, photos, videos, a master events calendar (meals, classes, events,
exercise programs, Medicare bootcamps), a comprehensive services section,
nutritional/meal site resources and maps, volunteer information, stories and
testimonials, expanded news and wellness program sections, and a complete staff
and board directory. The website is also
fully compliant to meet the needs of the visual and hearing impaired.
“Our new website provides everyone with valuable information to support our
older family, friends, and neighbors as they age well, their way,” said Meg
Burmeister, Executive Director of the NEK Council on Aging. “The person-centered services provided by the
Council are diverse and in addition to our Helpline, we wanted to provide access
to anyone seeking information during the day, in the middle of the night, or on
the weekends. I believe the new website will be a very helpful resource to members
of our NEK families and beyond.”
For the development of the website, the
Council turned to Northeast Kingdom Online, a marketing and branding agency
located in Lyndonville, VT. Using their proprietary content management system,
NEKO360, the Council is able to make changes to the website easily and quickly
via the internet. With responsive design, the new website can be viewed across
many different devices (PC, tablet, and smartphone).
"Coming into this project, we knew that accessibility was going to be a
top priority. A lot of care went into creating an experience that would be productive
and workable for the Council's staff and diverse community," said Jay
Davis, CEO and Partner of Northeast Kingdom Online. "I appreciated the
opportunity to learn about the services provided by the Council--it helped us
to fine-tune our design with the client in mind."
The Council offers over 37 wellness classes every week throughout the Kingdom
and with the new master calendar on the website, one can search by program,
day, month, or town to discover exactly what is going on in real time.
“By making this information easier to access, we hope to increase the support
and participation in our programs and services which include: State Health
Insurance (SHIP); Independent Living; Food and Fuel; Wellness; Caregiving;
Community Dining Sites/Meals on Wheels; Veteran’s Services; Nutrition; Pets for
Life, LBGTQ Advocacy, Transportation; Senior Companions; and Volunteers,” said
Burmeister. “Most of these programs are provided free of charge and supported
by our staff of 26 people and a team of over 350 volunteers.”
The use of the new website can be measured and is designed to grow as the
Council grows. “The new website allows the Council to be more proactive in
communicating with current and new Council clients and their families,” said
Mel Reis, a marketing consultant assisting the Council with the development of
the new website. “Based on how visitors
are using the website, the Council can track what content is being viewed and
fine-tune their marketing and communications plans based on how visitors are
accessing and using the website.”
The NEK Council on Aging has offices in St. Johnsbury, Newport, Island Pond,
and Hardwick. The Hardwick and Island Pond locations are by appointment only.
For further information, call the Helpline at 800-642-5119 or visit
nekcouncil.org.
