I enjoy volunteering for a couple of reasons:

• the perks of it is up there: I like getting a free tshirt (aka pyjamas after the event is over), free food and free access to concerts;
• interacting with new people: I’m old so the number of opportunities to meet and talk to new people are few and far between. Even if you don’t have that much time to mingle, you might run into these people again and the ice will have already been broken;
• feeling like you’re doing something good for the community at large: I’m a helpful person so this feeds that part of me.

I signed up to volunteer at the reggae festival happening in the city this weekend. I don’t actually follow the reggae music scene, so I don’t know the latest stars or anything, but I did enjoy Shaggy’s music “back in the day” (♪ Girl you’re my angel, you’re my darrrrlin’ angeeeeelllll ♪), and I think I even have one of his cds (I have less than 25 cds, total) so that was a motivation to sign up.

Anyway, I inquired about whether they were accepting volunteers back in June, filled out the form and indicated my availability. I received confirmation that my application was received. I received a phone call a few weeks later asking me to provide a missing piece of information (the smart serve number) and when I sent them the info I didn’t hear back from them. Eight days ago I received a group email indicating that the volunteer coordinator had left, but they would call us (to confirm our acceptance as volunteers, I presume) by last weekend. I didn’t get a call.

As I mentioned, the festival is this weekend.

Yesterday, the day before the event is supposed to start, I received an email saying that I will be contacted within 24 hours regarding my volunteer hours. To be fair it hasn’t been a day yet at the time of this entry so maybe they will be contacting me to let me know when I’m expected. The email was apologetic for the delays in relaying information to us, which I understood is due to having a small amount of people taking on the work of coordinating a bunch of volunteers. Another email was sent less than an hour later, letting us know that the orientation session would be coming up soon. It better be soon since the festival is now hours away!

But chronically late and procrastinating Jummy could not stand not knowing anymore, especially since potential plans for the weekend kept coming up: I called them and let them know that not only had I not received confirmation that I had been accepted as a volunteer and it’s the day of my first shift (well, according to the availability I had provided), but I still have no idea where I’m supposed to be or which of the various places I signed up to volunteer in I have been assigned to (I think Bluesfest has spoiled me for how I believe every volunteer experience should go, to be honest). Anyway, my point was that I had made plans for tonight and since they have a three shift volunteer minimum, I would not be available this year.

The guy who answered the phone asked me questions I could not answer such as what section was I scheduled to work in and what time had I been asked to volunteer this evening. When I told him when I thought my shift was based on the availability I had chosen on the application form, he told me those times were wrong, so really, I have no idea what shifts I had been assigned to, nor did he, though he did have me on his list of volunteers.

Anyways, as is the norm with me, I have made a short story long. I know festivals always recruit far more volunteers than they actually need so that’s good. And this festival is young — this is only its second year — so I bear them no ill will. The woman I was transferred to when I tried to figure out what went wrong with respect to receiving info said she hoped I’d apply again next year and I’ll certainly try to. I’m glad my weekend is no longer in limbo.

Filed under: Mundane by jummy