Connecting Our Online Community ~ Community Spotlight
One Waynedale retiree donates her time keeping residents informed about the community on social media.
For about the last three years, Terri Shimp has been the administrator of the Waynedale Community group on Facebook, posting local news, area happenings, and news from area businesses.
Currently, Shimp runs the group with a co-administrator, Mary Fagg. Shimp said the pair spends roughly 40 hours a week working on the page, keeping folks up to date about Waynedale happenings.
“It’s basically just events, news, humorous stuff, mostly just sharing items from other local pages that are informative for community members,” she said.
The group also shares sales and information to help promote local shopping and use of area businesses.
Shimp noted that in times of crisis, the group also has been an invaluable service to Waynedale residents. After the savage derecho storm struck the area a couple of years ago, downing dozens of trees and knocking out the area’s power for days, the group kept residents informed about critical clean-up and power information, she said.
“We were really busy after that storm,” Shimp noted with a heavy sigh, “It was probably a solid week of letting people know where to leave branches for pick-up, and power updates from Indiana & Michigan Power.”
Before retiring, Shimp, 64, worked as a librarian at Waynedale Elementary. She said that job was where she picked up much of her affinity for technology.
“I was the librarian, and I helped the teachers with their lessons involving the internet, and I pitched in, helping with classroom software, and some school computer repair.
“It was just a hobby that interested me, and it was fun,” she said.
She said working on the group also helps pass her time as a retiree.
“I’m retired, and I don’t really like to go out much, so this is what I like to do.”
Facebook groups, like the Waynedale Community group, narrow the enormous Facebook user population into smaller, more identified categories and are one of the most popular features of the app and website. These types of localized or topic-based groups help people with similar interests connect and they cater to more developed discussions.
Shimp also serves as an admin for “Waynedale Recollections,” a local historical group and “Waynedale Family and Friends,” a pay-it-forward group on Facebook.
Shimp said she just enjoys the way the group can keep people informed, solve problems, and create a more tight-knit community.
“If there’s anything bothering people, we can post it and try to find a solution, or maybe just bring the problem to light,” she noted.
“It’s really just a nice way to bring the community together.”
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