Volunteering takes on many forms. Sarah helped with a fundraiser for a local wildlife association.

Name: Sarah
Cause Name: Wildlife Care Association
Cause website: wildlifecareassociation.com
Is this the first time volunteering for the cause: Yes

1. Please provide a short paragraph about your volunteer experience.

The event was a silent auction being held at a hotel in Sacramento. I helped with distributing silent bidding forms and pens to all the appropriate tables and by matching written descriptions to the items up for auction. There was approximately 300 items items up for auction and they were numbered but not placed in numerical order. The written descriptions were in numerical order so I walked the tables matching items to their descriptions.

2. What were you expecting going into this volunteering event? Did those expectations change at all once you were done volunteering?

I was expecting to be helping setting up tables/chairs/linens etc. I knew I was helping with the setting up of the event and that I wouldn’t be involved in the actual event. I planned to get a lot more dirty than I actually did.

3. What was one thing you saw or did today that you’ll remember from today’s volunteering event?

I didn’t get a chance to get really hands on with the actual cause itself which was kind of disappointing because I do love wildlife but I will always remember how many donations they received for the event. It’s nice to know that other people care about wildlife as much as I do.

4. As an “experienced” volunteer at this cause, what would you tell someone who’s interested in volunteering at this cause for the first time?

As an experienced volunteer I would advise others to expect organized chaos if they are volunteering for the set up committee. The director knows what she’s doing but there’s not a lot of direction being handed out. I would advise others to be proactive and ask what they can do to help.

5. Are there any additional items people should know about volunteering at this cause?

I did see a few children around but as far as setting up goes I would say it’s mostly an adult job. I personally didn’t do anything strenuous although I’m sure someone had to set up the tables and bring in all the items for auction. There were no background checks required and anyone could basically walk in and lend a hand.

Thanks Sarah! Keep helping your community become a better place!

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