Organize and Plan
You should meet with your partner group (i.e. the land manager or other nonprofit group) to discuss the work to be done. What do they want you and your group of volunteers to accomplish? What are reasonable expectations for the numbers of people who will be involved? Will the land manager be providing the liability coverage for the event? Note: if the land manager will not be providing the liability coverage, SCA strongly recommends that you find a partner who will. This will protect you and the other participants.
Steps
- Listing your event with SCA.
- Recruiting and preparing work leaders able to guide volunteers, keep them motivated, and follow the event’s emergency response plan in case something goes awry.
- Distributing info about the project, the schedule of events, and details of the day including where to gather, clothing to wear, and bringing food and water.
- Figuring out what tools and materials will be needed, how you’ll get them, and what will happen to them after the event.
- Developing an emergency response plan. At a minimum, the group leaders should have first-aid kits.
- Planning for restroom facilities, sources of drinking water, and enough food, all of which will increase the comfort of volunteers and reduce the likelihood they might suffer injury and illness.
- Identifying a place for people to gather and putting together a carpooling plan.
- Planning ways to thank volunteers and land managers for their work.
Finding volunteers to help out with your service day is as easy as opening your eyes to the people who surround you. Volunteer work is fun and rewarding, and there’s nothing like the camaraderie of a shared purpose. What a great opportunity to be with the people you enjoy! Invite your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Or there may be other volunteer organizations that would like to pitch in as well. There are certainly other SCA alumni in the area and they may want to get involved. You can find out about alumni near you from the SCA Alumni Staff.
Once you have an idea of numbers, work with your partner group to figure out what tools you’ll need and how to get them. Check out some of these good resources:
- Many cities have tool-lending libraries.
- Check with local hardware stores to see about donations.
- Partner organizations, like trail clubs, usually have a cache of trail tools.
Think about lunch and snacks for all your volunteers. You can ask folks to bring a bag lunch with them, or you can try to solicit donations from area businesses.
A few helpful tips about food. Check with local bagel shops and bakeries. Many businesses will be happy to make donations to a good cause, so don’t be afraid to call around and ask for specific items, like water, sandwiches, or even lunches.
Work with your partner group to map out a rough schedule of the day. It doesn’t need to be too detailed, just a kind of general outline. Make sure there’s time for introductions, a briefing about the work project, safety talk (very important!), lunch and snacks, and a wrap-up at the end of the day.
Arrange a meeting place and time and make sure everyone knows what to expect. Should they bring a lunch or snacks? Water? What time will things start and end? What should people wear or bring (long pants, boots, hats, sun screen)? Can they bring kids, dogs, families, friends?
Recommended Clothing and Equipment
- Leather (or Kevlar) boots. These should cover the ankle. Smooth soles are discouraged in settings with slippery conditions. Boots may not be appropriate for re-vegetation projects, but if grub hoes are used boots with all-leather uppers and lug soles are required.
- Hard hats when working with swinging tools, performing overhead work, or while working in close proximity to any swinging tools or other workers.
- Long pants that cover the top of the boots.
- T-shirt or a sleeved work shirt that covers the shoulders.
- Gloves are smart protective covering.
- Safety glasses are recommended for all work activities and should be mandatory whenever using high impact tools (sledges, mauls, picks, etc.) that make flying particles a danger. Protective eyewear should also be worn when metal is being struck on metal, or metal on rock.
