Volunteerism abuse can BURN the excitement to ASHES

When I joined the Navy waaay back in 1972, I had already volunteered in many areas: a telephone hotline service in the Haight-Ashbury when hotlines were a rare commodity, in cleanup during a San Francisco Bay oil spill that dumped oil in the bay waters that eventually washed up on northern San Francisco beaches, and eventually joined the Red Cross with my first days as a Red Cross volunteer at the Balboa Naval Hospital, San Diego. 

Throughout my two decades as a Navy sailor, I volunteered at many places and waay too many times. I helped with inputting database information for an Operation Smile organization in Norfolk, Virginia. I did hand-drawn graphics for Navy Family Services at Navy Base (when it was still NOB) Norfolk for at least a decade, with my charts giving easy to read graphics for workshops and pre- and post- deployment seminars. I did a lot of volunteering at any and everywhere, though those above are the ones I do remember the most. In those times when volunteer hours were not being counted nor recorded as it is now, it's hard to remember all that I did and how many times in a week, let alone during  a month! 

After I retired and returned to Spain to live, I immediately went to the base Red Cross office to enlist my time and services as a volunteer. I opted for a position inputting data into a computer database for about two times a week for a few hours. Soon afterwards, I discovered my primary manpower chore was changing. I would come in to do my database work, but was actually being told (asked) to do something else non-related to my original and primary tasking. By time I got finished with that other work, I'd begin the database work when I realized my allotted time doing what I was supposed to do (database) was overridden by the other work, and now had no time to do what I was supposed to do!

I eventually quit that job. The people at the Red Cross didn't even ask why I was quitting, or even seemed to be concerned. In those early years of retirement from the military, I had quit volunteering completely, and enjoyed the free time for a few decades. Sure there would be a organization I liked now and then, and I would ask if they needed volunteers to help them in their cause. They would say yes, but I then told them to contact me......   I never again heard from them.

It's so strange to be part of a world of special people who enjoy volunteering their time and person to provide assistance to whatever the cause was, but when that organization has to contact YOU, all leads dry up and you'll probably not hear from again!

In the past few years, I've been volunteering in my own way, providing photographic coverage of events. I just get free entrance to some public or private event, and provide photograph thumbnails of the event, and they can use however as long as I got credited for the images received. I was burnt by an salon in San Francisco years ago when they asked me for such coverage, and after delivery of the images, later stated nothing of the sort was agreed upon where I would be a paid contractor providing images. Even after that "agreement" was negated, they continued to use my images on their website!

I have provided images two years in a row for various organizations and even upon delivery of the images, they do not even bother to respond that they have even received the images till days later.

So I have decided I will no longer volunteer my time as a photographer. Two days after the event is not when I need to know they just finally saw the pictures I had sent them. It's a lot of work and I am getting the idea that my imagery isn't even worth the work as a volunteer, and if I were paid, I would probably not even hear from them at all! 

What does my job as an event photographer involve? First, I find out everything about the event: how, time, guessimated attendees and where. Regardless of outdoor or indoor location, I actually go to see what the locale looks like. I try to find a manager so I can ask about where to shoot from if interior, and check the weather, cloudiness if outdoor. During an event, I try to be practically everywhere I can! Finishing up the event, I get home to download all image files, then weed out the best to tell my story of how the event progressed. Say I have 300 image files of an event. I can go through all that to choose the best, in less than an hour. Then I take all the best images and make smaller resized images with my copyright info on them, to send out to the event organizer. It takes me less than 2-3 hours to do all that! I don't believe in wasting time nor time in getting the images out.

While the amount of images can vary depending on the weather, event, and how many attended, etc, there may be more or less, but I have always prided myself in getting all images of any event out within four hours or less. Yes, it's a lot of work, but nobody can say I waste time or take too long in getting images distributed!

I have enjoyed the decades I have worked as a volunteer at so many places and doing such a large variety of work. I still believe MY time and work as a volunteer were exceptional and worthwhile. It's just too bad it seems the groups or organizers I worked for, do not seem to agree through their attitude, and displaying such delay and slowness. 

It's a shame, but I am quitting with my volunteering as a photographer, plus I am just so burnt-out for doing such work and to me, it seems that my time and work are not being appreciated at all.

Hunter's Moon in western Michigan

As in other climates and locations with crazy forecast weather conditions that never are accurate, we missed the full moon yesterday as it was almost overcast for most of the day. Last night it was still overcast, so we weren't really looking for it, but just before dawn, we woke early to see the Hunter's Moon in a partly cloudy sky about 15-degrees above the partly cloudy horizon. We both dashed around getting dressed quickly, and readying the cameras.

This is my uncropped and unedited full moon snap Monday morning before it disappeared slowly behind fast-moving clouds!! 

Did you see the Hunter's Moon? Post a picture!!

When is the last time you planted a tree?

I sincerely believe that this journey we call Life, has always been not about now, but in planning for the future. If not, how can anyone hope for a future you can be happy with, and to live and grow in?

This weekend, Sheila and I participated in a huge tree-planting project in Wedgwood Park, a park we often visit for its trails, and with Sheila's grandchildren for its huge interactive and traditional playground.  

So we walked over Saturday morning with borrowed shovel in hand to the park, meeting up with many other Grandville, MI residents, and after a demonstration on how to prepare a tree to be planted, then moved out in small groups to areas where trees were sitting next to pre-dug pits, in today's plan to plant over 70 trees in the park!

That's a LOT of trees!!

Of the three types planted, White Birch was the majority, being an area native along with its adaptability to the climate. It was also very heavy as the many volunteers discovered, and had to be wrestled into 2-3 foot pits already dug and waiting to be filled. The roots were encased in a ball of clay making it even heavier!

Signing in to provide Hope for a Green Future!

Volunteers waiting for tree-planting to begin

This tree still awaits its new home

All this happened thanks not only to the city of Grandville and ReLeaf Michigan, but also through a green partnership between the city with the Davey Resource Group, the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Urban and Community Forestry Program, and the Grandville Community Tree Project. 

Words from Kyla Bos, Grandville Community Tree Project

More words and demonstrations of planting who know about trees

Getting out more words about tree-planting

This being written and posted after the fact, I'd like to say THANK YOU to everyone who showed up very early last Saturday morning in Grandville, Michigan to assist with the tree-planting, and to make the community more green now, and in the future!!  

Holes dug, trees ready for the new home!

Trees just aren't able to step into into their home by themselves

ABOVE: Newly-planted trees look nice in their new home
at Wedgwood Park!

When was the last time you planted a tree? Use any excuse you want: an anniversary, a wedding, a memorial for someone dear to your heart....  any reason!
Plan now for your future with a tree...  and for a greener planet now!