Westfield Kiwanis Prepares to Launch Member App for Testing
The Westfield Kiwanis Club is getting ready to step into the app era. In the coming weeks, members will be invited to test a new mobile app designed to make staying connected easier and more effective.
“Everyone expects there to be an app for everything, so why not a Kiwanis Club?” said member Steve Dondley. “Email is a drag to use and few people can keep track of all their messages. An app is a way for members to easily keep apprised of Club activity and coordinate with one another.”
The app will feature an event calendar, a member directory, and news updates. It will also sync automatically with the Kiwanis website, ensuring information is always up to date. A chat function is planned for release later this year. Perhaps most importantly, the app will include push notifications, allowing members to receive timely reminders and urgent updates.
The platform is based on UnionConnect, a product of Steve’s company, Prometheus Labor Communications. Helping customize the app for the Kiwanis Club is Steve’s son, Sean Dondley, a recent UMass graduate with a degree in computer science. Sean now works with his dad and is lending his skills to make the app fit the Club’s needs.
For now, access will be limited to members, who will be notified when the app is ready for testing. In the future, the Club may consider making parts of the app available to the wider Westfield community, with potential options for fundraising through advertising.
Steve encouraged members to share their input. “If they have any ideas about new features to put in the app, let me know,” he said.
The app is expected to be available for testing within the next couple of weeks.
