What do you do when what you’ve always done for a special occasion is no longer an option? Yes, I’d been in this position before, as holiday activities were redrawn along with my definition of family as I knew it. This year, the holidays were again just another part of a larger reorganization of my life, as inevitable changes come, and I challenge myself to push the boundaries of my admittedly self-circumscribed Comfort Zone.
The easy and yes, comfortable, route would be to make Christmas a time for myself, a time of reflection or self-evaluation. A time to look back on the year and consider plans and goals for the year to come. A day of well-deserved rest after a stressful month of ZooLights at work and seasonal social activities leading up to the holiday.
Yes, we all deserve a day of rest.
The easy and yes, comfortable, route would be to make Christmas a time for myself, a time of reflection or self-evaluation. A time to look back on the year and consider plans and goals for the year to come. A day of well-deserved rest after a stressful month of ZooLights at work and seasonal social activities leading up to the holiday.
Yes, we all deserve a day of rest.
But as I dare myself to explore the edges of the zone, it seemed that there must be a more challenging way to redefine my holiday. Something that would take me out of my box and say something, if only to me, of what this time of year can mean.
In my time at the zoo I have often worked with our corps of volunteers, and they are some of my favorite people. The reasons they volunteer are widely diverse, from a social activity to passion for a cause. Many are dedicated long-term volunteers who have been at the zoo longer than a lot of the professional staff. Some are short timers - at the zoo for a single event or project. All of them are giving their own time to an organization that means something to them, and I love and respect them for that. But only rarely have I ever been a volunteer myself.
In my time at the zoo I have often worked with our corps of volunteers, and they are some of my favorite people. The reasons they volunteer are widely diverse, from a social activity to passion for a cause. Many are dedicated long-term volunteers who have been at the zoo longer than a lot of the professional staff. Some are short timers - at the zoo for a single event or project. All of them are giving their own time to an organization that means something to them, and I love and respect them for that. But only rarely have I ever been a volunteer myself.
A quick Google search led me to Hands On Greater Portland. [handsonportland.org] Hands On connects volunteers with diverse opportunities around the Portland area. With a searchable database of projects ranging from one-day events to long-term commitments, you can find an volunteer project that fits your availability, your passion, and your skill set.
The Hands On site will ask you to set up an account, where you will not only enter contact information, but you are given an opportunity to create a profile. Pulldown menus let you enter your availability and interests, from tasks and activities to specific issues and populations you are wanting to serve. There is also a matrix to list your skills (along with your level of expertise in each) to better match you with the needs of Hands On partner organizations.
The Hands On site will ask you to set up an account, where you will not only enter contact information, but you are given an opportunity to create a profile. Pulldown menus let you enter your availability and interests, from tasks and activities to specific issues and populations you are wanting to serve. There is also a matrix to list your skills (along with your level of expertise in each) to better match you with the needs of Hands On partner organizations.
Speaking of partner organizations, click on over to the site’s “Browse Nonprofits” page for a seemingly exhaustive list of groups in the Portland area. It’s a good, if time consuming, way to find a cause that is meaningful to you. Each listing links to a short informational blurb about the organization’s mission along with a link to the group’s website. From there you can click on to a list of upcoming opportunities to help out.
Or you may be looking for a way to serve on a specific day. Maybe a family weekend, or a group activity. Or maybe, like me, just a quest for something new and meaningful to do with a day that finds you at loose ends. (It’s worth mentioning that Hands On will also help fill court-ordered volunteer hours.)
Or you may be looking for a way to serve on a specific day. Maybe a family weekend, or a group activity. Or maybe, like me, just a quest for something new and meaningful to do with a day that finds you at loose ends. (It’s worth mentioning that Hands On will also help fill court-ordered volunteer hours.)
I went to the page’s Project Calendar. A simple, traditional calendar grid listed several events happening on Christmas Day, many benefitting the homeless, indigent and low-income communities in the central city.
Out of my Comfort Zone? Oh, yeah. In I dove…
Potluck in the Park (potluckinthepark.org) provides a free meal at O’Bryant Square in downtown Portland every Sunday for anyone in need. In addition to providing a nutritious meal in a shame-free environment, Potluck can be a social life raft for an often alienated population. Their weekly meals draw between 400 and 600 diners. On Christmas Day, that number can triple, and this year was moved to the Portland Art Museum.
So that’s where I found myself at 9:00 on Christmas morning. After helping off-load some food donations (actually pet-food - which is also offered), I was assigned to “sidewalk security”, which turned out to be less about security and more about directing traffic and answering questions. For three and a half hours, I greeted people and directed them to where they could pick up their meal tickets, explained the procedure and answered questions. And I had some conversations with people I might never talk to on the street.
Out of my Comfort Zone? Oh, yeah. In I dove…
Potluck in the Park (potluckinthepark.org) provides a free meal at O’Bryant Square in downtown Portland every Sunday for anyone in need. In addition to providing a nutritious meal in a shame-free environment, Potluck can be a social life raft for an often alienated population. Their weekly meals draw between 400 and 600 diners. On Christmas Day, that number can triple, and this year was moved to the Portland Art Museum.
So that’s where I found myself at 9:00 on Christmas morning. After helping off-load some food donations (actually pet-food - which is also offered), I was assigned to “sidewalk security”, which turned out to be less about security and more about directing traffic and answering questions. For three and a half hours, I greeted people and directed them to where they could pick up their meal tickets, explained the procedure and answered questions. And I had some conversations with people I might never talk to on the street.
As I left, I had some mixed feelings about the experience. I had been a very small part of a big machine that did some good. I had no part in organizing or running the event, I had no responsibilities beyond the immediate job I was doing. Surrounded by people dedicated to a cause, I filled a spot. I felt torn between feeling accomplished and feeling like a dilettante. I was humbled by the dedication of the reular staff and volunteers, and moved by their appreciation of my meager effort.
I’ve worked with enough volunteers at the zoo to know that all help is appreciated. Our community volunteers, who come to the zoo for a day to participate in a singular event, are a valuable resource that we plan for and count on. They are as much a part of the event as our regular, dedicated volunteer corp.
I just never saw myself as one of them.
I’ve worked with enough volunteers at the zoo to know that all help is appreciated. Our community volunteers, who come to the zoo for a day to participate in a singular event, are a valuable resource that we plan for and count on. They are as much a part of the event as our regular, dedicated volunteer corp.
I just never saw myself as one of them.
Then again, maybe single-day volunteering is the place to start. While I may want to eventually dedicate myself to an organization or cause that I want to be more involved with on a regular basis and a greater commitment. Perhaps I should use my Hands On account to sample a couple of volunteer activities each month, and maybe I’ll discover a group I connect with, to which I can dedicate myself whole-heartedly.
Wait.
Have a stumbled on a metaphor for dating?
Wait.
Have a stumbled on a metaphor for dating?