Volunteering Comments
(Not just from one thread)
From @LukeStrickland
We can give them an awesome, clean, friendly and well stocked makerspace to create their projects, art and works. Nothing more is needed, nothing more should be required.
From @TBJK
I expect nothing here. We have the Makers fellowship fund just for this. We volunteer, I don’t do it to get paid. I can’t tell you how much I have given up in terms of money, I know its in the many of thousands of $ per year. I do it for the space, I do it to keep this place running smoother. I do it to pay it forward. I do it because I enjoy it, IT IS MY PASSION & IN MY BLOOD. I am a fix-a-holic/work-a-holic
I may not be the best teacher but by god I can fix stuff so others can teach.
From @LukeStrickland
My point is volunteers volunteer because they want to make the place better. I volunteered to work on lights because the place was dark and unappealing. I volunteered to go on the roof every month for an entire year to clean out the A/C.
I volunteered for these things because I only want to work in a well lit, well cooled environment. The perks of volunteerism are the benefits you’re making for yourself.
From @MrsMoose
I volunteer when it helps a comittee I feel connected with. There are certain tasks I used to volunteer on but after being gone I’m noticing I don’t know how to do many of them anymore. Where IS the titan blade stash now kind of thing. It’s easier to volunteer for areas that post their lists of 15/20 minute jobs as well.
From @so_creative
- What needs volunteering for?
- Feeling wanted and useful without being used helps inspire me to volunteer.
What has happened in the year I have been a member…
After having a door held for me, and telling the person “Thank you,” I was told I wasn’t welcome. Immediately, I asked for clarification of what this person said, the reply was that I was not welcome here. I took the hint and flat tire and stayed away a few months. I thought maybe the person was just having a crappy day and I caught the flack of it.
Since coming back I tried to pitch in when I have been at the space. I have tried to clean up things I knew were out of place. This lead to people being upset with me in my perception, because I was told that “wasn’t my job” to clean up after others.
I’ve unclogged the women’s toilets more than I can count and disinfected the basin of the crappers afterwards… no place to file that I have completed this task, but it needed done. I’ve cleaned poop off the floors and walls in there since I’ve been a member and no one noticed or cared… I say that because I’ve cleaned poop off the items in there more than once.
I have tried to come on work days and stayed as long as the body will hold out and excused myself when I knew I had to leave.
I have been available just to be an ear, a friend or shoulder to a community that seems to talk trash about my hair twirling behind my back.
When attending another teacher’s class, I’ve been gopher and had class mates seem to make comments to the instructor that couldn’t have been too nice, because after the whispers the teacher looked at me differently because of whatever was said; and even more confused when I cleaned up, replaced supplies and apologized if I had been annoying to them in the class.
What I thought I was getting in joining Your makers space was a perspective group of working friends. It’s not exactly what I have found. I have taken more classes than I have hosted and donated in the boxes when I have used supplies.
So, what kind of volunteers are YOU looking for?
I know 90% of what I have typed sounds ■■■■■ and snarky; but after all the reading I have done of the most prolific posters, all I am seeing is a push to be rid of those who didn’t find a click to become a part of.
Someone recently posted “Headphones in, head down, get my project done.” I have to agree with that sentiment. Being nice up here is not the way to make friends it seems. You’ve got to be pushy, into everyone’s area, nosey and brash. All things I am not.
So my thoughts are out there now. Not that they fully answered your question or even stayed with in the topic, but this was the most relevant area I have seen to post things I have sat on while trying to decide if volunteering here is worth the pain and humiliation.
From @richmeyer
My main reason for joining the Dallas Makerspace was to give back to the community. I am retired and had a very successful career in Electronics. Time to give back and volunteer as much as I can.
Volunteer where? Just look around and find something that needs to be done! Ask questions. I joined DMS over 2 years ago and immediately saw a need for someone to interface with City officials whether it is the City Inspector, the Fire Marshall, Permit Department, or just City Hall in general. In my past career I worked as an Electrical/Safety Inspector for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and worked with all these inspectors in a 4 state area. Finally, something I can do to give back to the community. I am now donating my time as the General Contractor with the Expansion Group as we build out the new addition.
Personal projects? So far I have not had any time to build up my own projects. I am just too busy doing the things that I love to do.
From @sroriginals
I enjoy teaching classes in areas I have worked for years. I like to share my experiences and see someone else light up with “I can do this!”. I can help them avoid mistakes I made when I learned things on my own with no help.
There are some things I do not volunteer to do because I am no longer physically able to do them.
There are some things I will never volunteer to do because I do not wish to be a target, especially for all the BS I see on TALK and sometimes in meetings. This kind of ugliness makes me reluctant to volunteer at all. Generally, I don’t see a lot of support for our volunteers.
From @denzuko
Culturally not supported. The rhetoric may be in favor but after discussing with several members over the years its just not something they care about. Bulk of our membership are “makers” with due slips, ie only renting tools/toys they can’t have at home.
We as a group may preach volunteering, but do nothing at the outset to promote the mind set for it. This maybe a culture shock thing fro someone that didn’t grow up in Texas, but we put out there that its all a good 'ld boy network whereby rhetoric we say people “should” volunteer not “can” or “will” because by action we tell people “only x person will do it for you”.
To give an example when anyone needs help with anything infrastructure or badges the answer is go talk to Stan. But if Stan is not there then people just walk away without getting any help or knowing to ask anyone else for help. Don’t get me wrong at all, we all love stan and appreciate all he does for the space, myself included.
Now, the correct answer is badges are self service and any/all members can do that themselves. There’s even wiki articles as how tos. And any technical support is either on talk, wiki or a reach out to Team infrastructure, of which there are several on that team.
The kind of culture that would get more people to volunteer is to actually engage them as a member of a team, ask them what they are passionate about and why they are apart of the Makers Movement because if all we do is keep getting due slip makers and donors then we’re being an adult daycare for profit instead of building up our existing members or being apart of a larger community of makers.
From @Kriskat30 replying to someone else
I agree with several points you make. One of the most valuable things leadership can do is be right there in the trenches with volunteers. Talk to people and find out what they love doing and suggest a volunteer opportunity that matches up with their interests. There are always going to be the grunt work that no one wants to do. Leadership helping out with those is always effective. Burnout is rampant unless leadership mitigates it. I request that most of our most active volunteers keep it to 3 items/projects they are working on at one time. It’s a balance to keep our core members and encourage our latest member to step up.
Get involved. It’s awesome here!
From @leasha
- Organize a system that makes it easy for the volunteer and for DMS.
- Consider each new member a possible volunteer and recruit anyone interested.
- Reach out to the entire membership rather than relying on the relatively few members already on site and/or participating on talk.
- Be specific about how the volunteer’s work will be beneficial and is in alignment with our mission.
- Show genuine appreciation for the volunteers ensuring they feel like they want to do more.
- Have reasonable expectations and respect their time.