Volunteering

For years I’ve volunteered for various causes. Why? Honestly, primarily because it made me feel good. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t. I like the feeling of satisfaction that I’m making a difference and it does my ego good to get the “atta girls” that come with doing my volunteer jobs. There are many other reasons, of course. I believe it’s important to give back to the communities I belong to and society in general. I believe that volunteering is the easiest and quickest way to make a difference in the world around me and I want to make a difference. Of course there are the side perks that make volunteering so much fun. I get to attend fun events, like fundraising parties and art shows. I get to meet amazing people. Working side by side with others like me who are dedicated to “the cause” is an incredible social opportunity. I’ve made lasting friends and lovers from volunteering.

WHAT’S THIS GOT TO DO WITH YOU?
The Center for Sex Positive Culture does not exist in a vacuum. We exist because we have members who not only attend our events; they also give their time and energy to make these events happen. The Center’s existence depends on our volunteers. Without volunteers we would not exist. We derive our volunteers from you, the members. Volunteers have been here from the beginning. Who do you think painted the walls, hung the dry wall, laid the carpet, put in the plumbing, built the place? Volunteers. Who currently does the laundry, sets up the space, does maintenance and creates the events that you attend? Volunteers.

WHY SHOULD YOU VOLUNTEER?
Like I said earlier there are wonderful perks. And we need you.

You get the satisfaction of contributing to the most unique sex positive organization in the world. You meet people from all walks of life and all interests. You make friends and possibly even lovers. You learn new skills. You truly get to make a difference in the Center and in the Sex Positive community at large. Oh, and of course you get to attend events that you volunteer at and there are a few other more tangible perks depending on how often you volunteer. Those are very secondary in my opinion. You wouldn’t be a member if you didn’t want to attend events; while attending them you might as well lend us a hand from time to time. Personally, I’d be overjoyed if all of you who are members volunteered at least a few times a year. After all, when you join you become a member of this organization and that makes the Center yours and it’s up to you to take care of your Center.

SO WHAT DO WE NEED?
The list is long and never quite finished as there are always new opportunities that spring up each year. Besides volunteering at the Center for events or behind the scenes we have many outside activities that require volunteers. Our yearly Paradise Labor Day camp out requires many people to make it run smoothly and we look to the Center for volunteers for our sister organization, The Foundation for Sex Positive Culture. The Foundation's primary program, the Seattle Erotic Art Festival currently needs many people to make our 2008 Gala happen on March 1 and on May 17 we’ll be holding a special dinner and fashion show fund raiser for the Foundation and we’ll be looking to you to assist us in this event.

Here’s a list of the Center’s current needs in order of importance (I’ll be sending a separate e-mail about the Foundations needs. )

*LAUNDRY TEAM. We do 8-12 loads of laundry after most parties. The more people the shorter the time spent doing laundry. We are very short handed right now so our team members are spending long hours working to keep up with the amazing amount of sheets and towels you all use. Some of the team work after the party (great for those of you who work graveyard or have trouble sleeping) and some come early in the day and work. One thing to note, we are unique in that we insist that you have clean sheets and towels available to you. Not all clubs readily supply towels and sheets. Some require you bring them with you and others keep them locked up so you have to request them as needed. We want to keep offering you this service, so we very much need more people on this team.

SET-UP TEAM. You come in and help set up for the upcoming events. As we grow our programming we need more and more people who are available during the day. We sometimes have up to four events in a day (and even more if we’re doing multiple workshops). That’s a lot of set-ups.

EVENT TEAMS. These include cashiers, our newest position concierge (kind of an ambassador/monitor hybrid), librarians (yes the library is about to open), event champions and event coordinators. This is the volunteer position for those of you who are looking to make new friends and maybe even to meet potential partners. You potentially get to meet everyone at a given party. How cool is that?

* PARADISE TEAM. Yes, it’s already in the planning for this year’s event. It takes a lot of work to pull of a week of workshops, food, camping and play.

*COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL TEAMS. We have many opportunities for you to become involved in the actual planning and programming. We have education, fundraising, public relations and marketing all covered under what we call The Big Committee. We meet on the second Monday of the month at the Center. If you are interested in being part of any of these activities, please join us.

*BUILD IT YOURSELF VOLUNTEERING. Do you see a need that isn’t being addressed? Do you have a party you’ve been dying to put on but just aren’t sure how to go about it? Tell me what you’d like to do, I’ll most likely say yes.

HOW DO YOU VOLUNTEER?
It’s easy. E-mail me and I’ll forward your e-mails to the appropriate department. Just hit reply and tell me what you are interested in doing and I’ll make it happen.

Volunteering is a rewarding experience. It’s exciting to be able to tell others that you are a part of creating the Center for Sex Positive Culture. You’ll leave each shift knowing that you’ve made a difference in the community you’ve become part of. You’ll feel good.

Thanks for stepping up!

Allena