Papal screening and training under way in Philadelphia and beyond

Before the World Meeting of Families and papal visit can happen, thousands of volunteers must be trained. Volunteers need background checks too.

Tom Klein, Executive Director of Verified Volunteers says his outfit began screening some of the 10-thousand papal volunteers in May.  

“The average turnaround time is typically about 24 hours though some may take 48 and 72 hours, depending on how many different jurisdictions are searched.”

Since the volunteers are coming to Philadelphia from all over, training is going to be done through a smartphone app from the web developer Scavify. Jesse Rendell of Scavify says they try to add some fun into the work.

“We are providing a fun and lighthearted way for them to learn and to test what they know and what they don’t know.”

The app is competitive and interactive with participants answering questions and posting pictures as they proceed through the training