Let them eat cake
Chapter Office volunteers enjoy the satisfaction of important work well done, camaraderie, and special treats
Some Sierra Club volunteers work passionately on critical conservation campaigns. Some get to lead hikes and other outings in their favorite outdoor spots. And some do administrative and clerical work at the Sierra Club Bay Chapter Office.
Why do so many choose the unromantic office work? Charlotte Rieger, a retired public-health nurse who has traveled all over the world, including a bicycle
trip through France at the age of 57, and who has a lifetime's experience of volunteering for causes she believes in, says, "The best thing about this job is working with
the other volunteers and all of the staff. It's a gift to be able to work for the environment with other folks who share your passion and commitment." Charlotte has
volunteered in the Chapter Office for over 20 years. You can find her at the reception desk on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Phyllis Stevens, the Thursday morning receptionist, gives a similar answer, "It's so good to work with people seriously interested in saving the planet." By volunteering at the Chapter Office you get to be part of humanity's most important project. Administrative work may not be sexy, but it enables everything else to happen. It's a wonderfully easy way to make a significant difference. Besides, it's fun.
Sometimes, it's a specific issue that brings a volunteer to the Chapter. Sometimes motives are fuzzier, say a general concern with "the environment". A few volunteers are trying to give their lives more structure. Or their wives wanted them out of the house. But we all share the basic need to do something about our planet's problems.
The people who volunteer are as varied as the tasks. Some show up with sophisticated computer skills; others want to do nothing more complicated than stuffing envelopes for member mailings. Some are terrific at answering the phones and talking to members; others would do anything but answering phones. Some enjoy the socializing that comes with volunteer work, while others prefer to quietly accomplish their jobs with no socializing at all. Some have been volunteering for the Sierra Club for decades; others have just started. Some have a lifetime history of volunteer work; others have never done volunteer work before. Some want to do the same sort of work they've done professionally, while others want to do something totally different. Some have disabilities but are remarkably able at what they do for the Chapter. Some are highly educated; some less so. Some enjoy rock-climbing or backpacking; others are not outdoorspeople at all, but prefer seeking out obscure wines and undiscovered restaurants. The youngest volunteer is 16 and the oldest 93. Sometimes even the children of staff or volunteers have shown up at the office. Have they helped? At least with setting the cheerful, friendly mood.
Appreciation
Office volunteers do it because they want to make a difference. But it never hurts to receive appreciation. Office manager Joanne Drabek is always thanking volunteers and looking out for them to make sure that they feel good about their work.
Yodeler editor Don Forman comments, "One of the most important parts of our jobs as staff is to help volunteers and to make sure they feel appreciated. Office volunteers can't always see a direct end result to their work, but in fact, the effectiveness of all the Chapter's efforts depends on them. So they deserve frequent thank-yous - and Chapter staff are pretty good at giving them."
One more bonus for volunteers is getting to know the folks who've made the Sierra Club a full time job. As Phyllis Stevens says, "The conservation staff are well-informed, enthusiastic organizers who live their convictions." They're just doing what they think needs to be done, but we volunteers find them inspiring. It's definitely cool to get to know them and to learn about the issues from the experts.
That they feel appreciated and have a commitment to the environment are the only possible generalizations about the marvelous group of volunteers. Well, there is
one more: a love of food. We recently celebrated the Sierra Club's anniversary with birthday cakes for John Muir. Hard work is frequently rewarded by fabulous
lunches. Members share homegrown vegetables and treats from various farmers markets. The same long oval conference table that is used for envelope stuffing and sealing
is also used for home-baked goodies, which we enjoy while chatting about our travels, work, politics, gardening, families, pets, home water-conservation techniques,
hikes, camping adventures, theater, etc.
Finding the right role
Many volunteers work a regular shift, typically 3 - 4 hours a week. Others come occasionally, when there's a special need.
Joanne interviews each prospective volunteer and is a whiz at identifying skills, interests, quirks, and talents. There's something for every personality. Some volunteers call in response to Yodeler "volunteer wanted" notices for specific tasks; others wander in without a clear idea what they'd like to do. Joanne helps each of them to find the right opportunity, and makes sure that the work is organized and ready when you show up.
In short, volunteering at the Chapter Office is a mixture of helping to save the earth, meeting interesting people, eating treats, and sharing laughs. Joanne keeps us very busy, but lets us eat cake.
How can you resist? To get started, contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 315
Computers
Do you like working with computers? Some volunteers, with substantial skills, help keep the Chapter's member database clean and in synch with the Sierra Club's national database. For those with more basic backgrounds, there's lots of data entry: entering contributions, updating addresses, and identifying bad addresses and phone numbers. Occasionally there's a more entertaining special project, such as looking for graphics for a mailing, or shopping for office furniture on Craigslist.
Mailings
Most of the volunteers help put together member mailings. Letters are folded, inserts are inserted, envelopes are stuffed, sealed, and stamped. It's comfortable and mindless work, done around the big table with lots of friendly banter, and many hands make light work. Another, very detail-oriented volunteer does the complicated work of filling out the post-office paperwork and taking the mailings to the post office.
Receptionists
When you call the Chapter Office, it's usually a volunteer who answers the phone. Becoming a receptionist is a serious commitment. You're becoming the Sierra Club's representative, and so you have to learn a tremendous amount about the Club and the Bay Chapter. Callers may want to know about joining the Club or getting hiking information, to discuss issues with the conservation staff - or sometimes to broach less ordinary concerns such as: "I've been in Sierra Singles for one year now. How come I haven't met anyone yet?" or "I need to report some very strange and unusual cloud formations over the Bay." The receptionist's job is indeed a challenging mix of answering routine questions and helping to direct people with less ordinary concerns to the right place.