St. Steven's Episcopal Church takes pride in their diversity. Located in the center of the business and entertainment district of Coconut Grove, Florida, the parish runs the St. Stephen’s Arts & Crafts Annual Festival, consistently ranked in the top 50 shows in the nation. The congregation at St. Stephen's not only gives generously to the community through its own outreach programs, but it contributes regularly to community charities: the Homeless Assistance Center in Miami, the Coconut Grove Food Pantry at Christ Church, Trinity Cathedral's "Feed My Sheep" program, the Thelma Gibson House, and the Lotus House, among others.
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Today, our VolunteerSpotlight shines on Rebecca Weymouth, who uses VolunteerSpot's free online signup sheets to coordinate volunteers for the St. Steven's Episcopal Church annual art show.
Please tell us about the art show and your volunteer needs.
Our church hosts an art show each year during Presidents’ Day Weekend, in February. This past year was the 23rd year for the show. The money significantly helps to fund a portion of the church's outreach programs. It takes hundreds of volunteers to make this show a success. The volunteers help with a variety of jobs, from food preparation/cooking and selling beverages to manning the admission gates, including many other tasks. Coordinating the volunteers has always been a monumental task. I helped coordinate two years ago and couldn’t believe the logistics involved with trying to organize everyone who helps not only during the three day show, but also during the three days prior to the show, and to help break down the show.
How did you get started as a volunteer leader?
I volunteered. =)
What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers and their leaders out there?
Start early. Preparation is the key to organizing a well-run, well-attended show or program.
Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
This past year I decided that we needed to somehow automate the process of organizing volunteers. Thankfully, someone suggested VolunteerSpot. I checked it out and it was obvious that it was set up to handle everything we needed to do – and more! I could not have been more pleased with the service – which was free!! – and the assistance I received whenever I had a question. This is an incredibly helpful website to use for any volunteer activity – large or small, for charity or not.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know about volunteering?
Simply look at the introductory video on the VolunteerSpot website. Once you see how easy it can be (and it really can be easy), you’ll feel confident using the website, which saves countless hours and precious energy, doing the work that you simply don’t have the time to do. THANK YOU VolunteerSpot!
To learn more about St. Steven's Church, visit http://ststephenscoconutgrove.com/ or visit their art show website.
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We salute Rebecca Weymouth and all the other volunteer coordinators out there making a difference in the world. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com.
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