52 Things/Week 6: Volunteer at WCNY

Every couple days I take a look at my list of 52 Things and wonder where I can prepare for something that will take more than one week to complete.  For example, I'm not getting the rest of the ink done on my sleeve in one week - let alone for the cost, but the physical pain alone for that many hours of work...  Another example is completing a triathlon - that is going to take some training and research to make it happen.  Well, I thought the same thing about volunteering at WCNY.  I would read over the information online, submit an application, and when they needed me they would contact me.  Surely I wouldn't be volunteering before the end of the week...  But I was wrong!  I was asked if I'd like to help answer phones for the travel auction on the 18th or 19th.  Well, sure!  I signed up to work the Saturday night 8:30-midnight shift and carpooled with my friend Abby, who was also volunteering to help out. 

We get there about a half hour early and snag some dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans provided by the Gardenview Diner (yummy food there) and then went through a quick training session about what information to take and what to give and how to hand in bids and such things.  A simple training, but it answered questions we would inevitably have.  We were all ushered out to the studio holding three cameras, some bleachers with phones (the phone bank where I was stationed), and some large screens projecting the current boards of information.  We replaced some of those who were leaving for the night and the hours began rolling by... Abby and I chatted and we each took 10-20 phone calls for bids, questions about the trips, and such.  It was fun, aside from my apparent stage fright when it comes to having the camera on me...

I am glad I signed up to help out.  I expect I'll help answer phones again for the TelAuc and hopefully I'll help with their Readout program as well.  I a glad I took this step and it was very simple.  I would suggest to anyone to give back to programs that personally touch you by volunteering.