Volunteers

Searching for a loved one is a group effort. People want to help, so let them.

Delegate

Lots of people want to help, but some have specialised skills (e.g. design, writing etc). Use volunteers wisely so that specialised volunteers don’t burn out. Here’s some direction to give those who want to help:

Share the poster across social media (e.g. ask celebrities to retweet) – public attention keeps pressure on police and maintains media interest.
Bring food, run errands.
Door knock in the area they were last seen and areas of significance (e.g. favourite park).
Print and display posters (Officeworks and local MPs can print for free). To find your closest, see: Officeworks and Members of Parliament
Contact hospitals, public transport, crisis accommodation, homelessness services etc. asking recipients to forward it on to their networks and display the poster. See: Contacts
Ask people to update their email signature to include information about your missing loved one. See: WiseStamp

When people tell you a new ideas about how to expand the campaign, encourage them to run with it. You will have limited time and energy, so the more people that can help the better.

Keeping your volunteers in the loop will help maintain momentum and promote sharing the load. Social media can be an efficient way to do this.

Try not to be disheartened when people don’t stick to a commitment. As genuine as a close friend or volunteer’s desire to help is, their world hasn’t stopped like yours has.

Spread the word

Posters

As long as someone is still missing, encourage people who want to help to spread the awareness across social media and put up posters in public places. See: Posters

Appeals

A well-connected individual is invaluable when searching for a loved one. It might be worth writing a letter (or personalised email) to a local figure or organisation to assist in your search.

This can be useful if you consider hosting a public event (could be virtual, like a PR campaign, or a real-life fundraiser, like a fun run). See: Longer term ideas