How much human effort is required to guarantee Real Change remains a safe, reliable and welcoming space for our vendor community? 6,067 hours from nearly 400 individual volunteers, seven days a week.
Our volunteers spend their time and energy listening to vendors, preparing meals and creating events to bring the entire Real Change community together. As the seasons have changed, so has our pool of amazing volunteers, but the uniqueness they bring to Real Change has remained a constant in our 30 years of providing award-winning journalism, low-barrier work opportunities and life-changing advocacy.
This National Volunteer Week, we are honored to bring together our volunteers in a week of crafting, sports and fun to shower them with the love and care they so easily bestow upon our vendors at every opportunity. Whether it’s setting up a photobooth for vendors to take dozens of silly pictures at our fundraising events or diligently replacing the same faucet at one of our Street Sinks week after week, Real Change volunteers have never let us down.
From Jim Lauinger, who proudly makes donor calls from his home, to Cathy Clemens, who comes into our office weekly to serve our vendors and their needs, Real Change recognizes the volunteers who dedicate their diverse skill sets, time and energy to carry on our 30-year legacy of creating opportunities for thousands of people. I know from years of experience managing the production of the Emerald City Resource Guide that every copy distributed across the city has been forged through hours of calling agencies, editing and designing — all powered by our volunteers. Every Wednesday, Real Change vendors know they can always rely on the Lunch Bunch to provide a tasty meal to energize and motivate them for their day ahead. As vendors leave the Real Change office with the latest issue of the paper to sell, they can be confident that every line of its 12 pages has been thoroughly copy edited under the discerning gazes of our newsroom volunteers.
Our volunteers are a vital part of ensuring that each time a vendor enters our doors, they will be greeted warmly by a friendly face. Their unwavering dedication to Real Change has not gone unnoticed by staff like Real Change’s development & communications coordinator Cat Huber.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the hardworking volunteers who dedicate their time to Real Change,” Huber said. “Whether it’s every week in our Vendor Center or once a year at our anniversary event, I always love seeing all the volunteers who make up our community!”
Intern-turned-vendor program director Caroline St. Clair echoes their sentiments, saying, “Volunteers are such a pivotal part of running the Vendor Center. While each volunteer brings different things to the table, they are all so kind and supportive of vendors. I am incredibly grateful for each volunteer and the effort they put into making vendors feel safe and welcome at Real Change.”
Recently, I have taken on the privilege of building relationships with each and every one of our 388 (and counting!) dedicated volunteers, and I’ve found myself in awe of the empathy and generosity displayed by our hundreds of supporters every year. From all of the staff and vendors at Real Change, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Join us for Volunteer Week, show your appreciation and find out about the fun and impactful activities we have planned April 22 through 27 by following us @realchangenews on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Read more of the April 17–23, 2024 issue.