How was your volunteer job this year?

[Ratty]

Some people work all year with their department and enjoy the week-long vacation in the desert. Some come early and stay late, working off and on during that time. Others step up on the spur of the moment and fill the void. How was YOUR job?

I moved to Census this year and loved every minute of it. It was great to be working with intelligent, (nerdy), folks focused on an important task. Gathering precise, accurate data is their passion. If knowledge is power then these guys are power hungry. The Census lab is a smooth running machine. There was plenty of training for newbies like me. No politics. No surprises. Interesting variety of jobs. This was a fine place to help out. I'll be happy to work there again next year.

I arrived early and did random sampling as people drove in. This is a very important task. I'd like to thank anyone that took the time to fill out a random sample census form in line. It's vital to the Census that we get both the on-line census and the random forms. As a bonus I got to work with them at BM HQ in the off season.

P.S. Please go online NOW and fill out the Burning Man census. https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2490265/b7470b9d1460

[Token]

Superb!

Sat here with a few others on Eplaya, poked fun at the deserving, talked some weather, laughed at idiots.

Quite lovely.

[winterdream28]

2nd year greeting and LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!! I just love me some dusty hugs and dusty angels.

This year I tried out airport....... It might have been the position I helped out in, but I felt I was given very little training and actully made me feel very anxious and like I was doing something wrong. Not sure I will be back there or not.... Need to reflect on it a bit more.

[Ano]

Simultaneously my favorite thing and least favorite thing every year.

The new role I acted in provided me a view into some things that make me very unhappy about the trajectory of Burning Man. I also feel like I worked a little bit too much... and my final shift in exodus is always hard, and especially this year as I was on the receiving end of a lot of uneducated complaining on part of participants who don't understand how slow a one lane highway can be. This was even before the gate shutdown.... but that's a part of the job every year and I've accepted it.

I met some new great people and reconnected with some old great people. Is it time for next year yet?

[Meat Hunter]

Winterdream28,

Please contact me off-board regarding your job at the airport this year.

Best,
Meat Hunter

[Meat Hunter]

Winterdream28,

So good of you to call and I agree with you 100%. That Passport Office at the airport this year, with that on-again / off-again computer system that was designed my some ORG. technocrat that has never been close to an airport was absolutely insanity personified.

I am a pilot and I am pretty deep into the operations of the airport and that is the only function at the airport that I would not touch with a 10 foot pole. You were in good company. Even those who have been working the airport Passport Office for years were pulling their hair out with that computer system this year.

There are so many fun jobs at the airport such as: Customs Agents (same as gate greeters), Interceptors (who meet arriving private aircraft), Border Control (who manage the pilot and gift ride gate) and my all time favorite ---- Know-It-All (where you get to sign-in and sign out all the 1,000+ other airport volunteers) are jobs that everyone can have fun with.

Even though Ride Wrangler (those who match those wanting a flight around the city with pilots who are gifting rides at that time) can be hilarious most of the time -- that is before the whole city decides that they want a gift ride at the same time. That is when your creative crowd management skills come into play.

Looking forward to meeting you in person next year.

[xzlostzx]

I volunteered at the 3 oclock Arctica and couldnt have had a better time. So many amazing people. I look forward to volunteering again next year!

[winterdream28]

Meat Hunter -

It was so so nice to chat with you via phone about this all
Thanks for letting me share my story and being open to the feedback. I totally agree and am very excited to try a few new positions next year I greatly appreciate everyone's hard work and can only imagine the amount of hard work that goes into putting something like the airport on and together! You all all am amazing group of hard workers! Cheers

[kittyrodriguez]

Best year yet. I volunteered with Emergency Services again, but in a different capacity this year. I was basically a data wrangler and I loved it. Sounds super boring, but it was just my kind of nerdy.

[Savannah]

My 7th year with ESD; great as always.

[Picky]

Ratty! You are wonderful! Your kind words have forced me out of my longstanding lurkerdom to say thank you.

It was such a pleasure to have you at Census. You and all our volunteers this year really hit it out of the park. This was my third year as a Census volunteer, but my first as a sampling shift lead, and I had a blast and met so many new people I can't wait to reconnect with throughout the year. And for anyone interested in data collection, data entry, data analysis, talking to participants, generally being nerdy with other nerds, eating at commissary, hanging out at the airport, riding in a giant Conestoga-esque wagon, or just interested in stroking cars in the lanes with violently pink pool noodles, come to your Census! (Have you filled out your Census yet? No? Here you go. https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2490265/b7470b9d1460)

I was also new blood with Gate Crew and Exit Lane at PGE, and that was a ton of fun as well. I learned a lot, got to crawl around and poke things in cars, and help get people in safely. Gate folks are a tight-knit group, and they welcomed us with so much warmth. And booze. Thank you!

[sadie]

I did six greeters shifts. It was great fun...everyone is so happy and excited to be there. A lot of hugs...worked with some great people.
I was amazed at how many first time burners came through my lane on each shift.
Most of them very prepared...some of them, not so much. Was amused by some of the
'pretty people' dressed like they just got off work at some law firm that showed up on
Friday afternoon. Those little gold pumps and strappy black dress will never be the
same.
It changed my burn...made being aware of what time it was necessary..but that's not
a bad thing.

[winterdream28]

Most of them very prepared...some of them, not so much.

OH MAN..... One of my greeter shifts someone asked where he could buy water and a dust mask. He was so so soooo nice, not a tool at all so luckily it was slow so I spent like 20 mins talking to him. he didn't understand the street set up, he didn't know what temple was, he didn't know he had to bring his own toilet paper..... I was like how can you get this far and not know these things. He was so appreciative of the info tho. So although very unprepared.... I appreciate his willingness to listen and learn. But yes so so many first timers.

[otakup0pe]

Third year with GPE and am not planning on stopping any time soon.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Just over 800 lanterns were lit, raised throughout the city, and then collected in the morning, day in and day out. Lamplighters will always light the city, without fail.

It was a weird year, both for me and my crew. I didn't expect the Lamplighters to have so much trouble with recruiting volunteers; in years past we'd be turning away people 20 minutes after the work began. This year, we couldn't get enough people even with an hour of active recruiting! On Man burn night, we actually had to cancel two procession routes for lack of volunteers, and then go out and light those from the back of our work truck. (As it turns out, lighting from the truck happened during the white out and was amazingly fun!)

On a personal note, I struggled with the Working Man/Burning Man balance last year. After that burn, I had some discussions, re-calibrated, and then made the huge mistake of coming into this year's burn with expectations. I love the burn and I adore my role but after five years I still haven't learned my lesson: inflexible expectations are what drain me. So the beginning of the week was pretty much a write-off. Thankfully we were a well-oiled machine by the end of the week, as happens every year. Already scheming for next year

[Blue_Bike]

This was my second year on the playa and my first year volunteering. My volunteer job was rewarding and great fun.

I had connected with the tireless wedding planner, Armadillo, at DWP (Department of Wedding Planning) and volunteered as an officiant. I ended up with two legal weddings to officiate and did a non-legal playa wedding too. My first wedding was Thursday at the Temple at sunrise. It really was very beautiful. On my way out of the Temple after the wedding a couple stopped me and asked me to marry them on the spot. So we had an impromptu "playa" wedding then and there. My second official wedding was at the trash fence very late Friday night (about 2:00 AM Saturday). So chill and cosmic in the darkness of the deep playa, yet down to earth. I enjoyed meeting and connecting with the couples and look forward to seeing them again.

This year's burn was epic for me, and the weddings certainly helped it be so great. What a concept, give some time and energy to total strangers which leads to making new friends which makes for a richer and more meaningful burn! Makes me smile just thinking about it. Next year I will take on additional shifts somehow, if not additional weddings for DWP then maybe volunteer with DPW, GPE, or at the airport. So many outstanding opportunities...so precious few days.

[spacetime]

This past Burn was my third year volunteering with Center Cafe.

I started out washing dishes on my first shifts during my solo burn two years back. This year I trained for and worked as a barista.

The most complicated coffee I make in defaultia involves measuring pre-ground coffee into my drip. I had planned to avoid barista, because it looked a bit high pressure and I didn't want to mess up drinks. But I think I've made 250+ espresso fueled beverages now, some of them turned out well.

I managed to get to where I was trying to do Man-head-shaped foam art on capps at my last shift and was even asked if I'd consider working a double my last day.

Volunteering became a bigger part of my burn because I was invited to camp with Cafe Village this year. I believe it was because I had volunteered two years in a row previously. It did require I pick up at least five shifts. I chose 7-11 AM shifts Tuesday-Saturday, which might sound a bit deranged but it had a big benefit of keeping me on a fairly regular sleep schedule for BRC.

It also gave my burn some structure, such that I felt like I was able to do more with the time I had. I spent more time out during the day. And I came out of this year in great shape physically and mentally. Much better than my first two.

It's worth mentioning that I was able to abandon the tent / shade structure of my first two burns this year and go full-on hexayurt with my partner. I think a better home base made it easier to give more and get up early for work but that is another story.

Definitely a different type of burn for me this third go-round and I'm really pleased with how it went. Choosing to volunteer 20+ hours at center made a big, positive impact for me.

I've now done every non-manager, non-setup or strike job role in center cafe except ring master and register. I hope to knock those two out at my next burn. Maybe some time, I'll be able to roll in for the build or stay for strike.

I don't think it is obvious to folks that you can do something as simple as dishwashing at Burning Man and find out it is a great way to meet people and provide a valuable function. It certainly doesn't sound like a cool fun thing on the surface. But it is. You certainly won't see people washing dishes in BM youtube videos.

For me, washing dishes two years back has turned into a way to meet a lot of great people and get deeper into BM which is exactly what I hoped for. If you haven't volunteered at Burning Man yet, I recommend Center Cafe as a great place to start.

[Chowski]

This is my sixth burn, and perhaps my best. After four years of leading a theme camp, I was starting to get burned out on the same old burn routine, so I turned those reins over to a friend, and volunteered for Greeters. Granted, I did only one shift (Monday, 4AM to 8AM), but those were among the best hours of my burn, and in the last five minutes, I looked up and saw four of my best default friends drive up to be greeted. It was magical! I will definitely greet again next year and every other year. Hour after hour of facing directly into people's relief, joy, fear, and wonder. Thank you BRC!

[Drawingablank]

As usual I enjoyed my Greeter shift immensely - I would do more but never have any voice left after one.

And of course hosting the Eplaya M&G although that is not an official volunteer shift.

[Raoul]

There are so many fun jobs at the airport such as: Customs Agents (same as gate greeters)...are jobs that everyone can have fun with.

This was my first year in any sort of "official" volunteer role, and I did a shift as a Customs Agent at the airport. I had an absolute blast! I connected with the others on my shift almost immediately, and you would have thought we had known each other for years. We all played off each other really well, and just about all those who came through the airport seemed to be having just as much fun as we were. Of course, there was a small handful of sparkly pony types who looked with complete disdain on things like hugs, being welcomed home and rolling in the dust, but there were far and away the exceptions.

Very much looking forward to returning to the airport next year.

[Meat Hunter]

Raoul,

Not sure that I met you personally. But, you did get to meet my co-workers when you signed-in and signed-out of your Customs shift.

Out of 1,000 possible shifts at the Airport this year, every single one was filled 3 weeks before the event and there were only about 20 No-Shows -- Total. And, most of these were filled with walk-ups.

You should have been around when the squeaky clean sparkle ponies going in came back out............ I just love to see 'em dragging both their fannies and their luggage and all completely covered in dust and in curious places -- usually with a complete change in attitudes.

[mournlight]

Superb! This was my fifth year volunteering with various roles in the Cafe. It was a lot tighter group this year than what it felt previously, but it could be me who has changed.

I did shifts pre-event, during event and the strike team afterwards. I enjoy learning, so it was fun to learn how things go together and come down. It adds appreciation for what happens during the event. The managers were great.

We were short of volunteers, and I think other places mentioned also being short. I think it may be because there were so many birgins who don't know how valuable their service is. I'm anxious to see how many people identified as birgins this year.

I hope everyone will volunteer for something at BM. There are sooo many opportunities. I've had some great interactions at the Artery, Greeting and Cafe. If you haven't before, get involved with something in 2017. You'll be glad you did!

[Captain Goddammit]

I work entirely pre-event, and this year was pretty damn cool!
So, it went well.

[ZigZag]

I volunteered for a whole bunch of shifts at Greeters. Ratty recommended it and, as usual, her advice was spot on.

Being a 1st year burner I was afraid I wouldn't have much to offer but it turned out I made up for it in enthusiasm. It was a total blast, it was fun helping people cross the line from defaultia to the magic kingdom, there was such a sense of relief, excitement, and gratitude. I helped people who had been stopped by the LEOs out in the lane re-set their attitude and walked birgins through the initiation. I got to hug nearly everyone and it just made me (and hopefully them) feel good

I hadn't realized just how important that job was and how supportive it is to the overall culture. If you go to an event in the outside world, they take your ticket and boom, you are thrown in to the flow. At Burning Man, you are made welcome, a sense of home is established, people are glad to see you even if they don't know you. You get invited to come visit them. We make people happy to be there and what a fabulous way to start your week.

And its not just the newbies that were excited to be there. I hugged a guy who was there on his 21st burn and he loved every second of it. So did an 18 year and a 14 year vet.

Volunteering helped me see just how everyone needs to pitch in to be a part of this community and not just be a watcher. Its the life blood of the system.

[PavementBlues]

Took a bit of a break from volunteering this year. Still put a shift in with the Rangers, but nothing like the hours I normally pull. Most of my time I spent getting to know campmates and making people grilled cheese sandwiches.

And you know what? It was fantastic. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things volunteering next year, but it's also good to have a break every now and then to reconnect with the other side of the event. If anyone here is starting to feel burned out or losing passion for their work out in the dust, I highly recommend taking a step back and giving yourself a year to screw around. It helps keep Burning Man from becoming a routine, which it can when you get into a regular gig like volunteering or theme camps or what have you.

[OatmealMama]

Volunteered one shift at the airport, omg, had a BLAST! I don't remember what my official title was, though. I wasn't customs....

And was recruited as a lamplighter. Amazing!

[Meat Hunter]

OatmealMama,

Post what you did at the airport and I will tell you the job title.

[BoyScoutGirl]

...And was recruited as a lamplighter. Amazing!

Thanks for helping light the city!

[Ratty]

Well, since the burn I've done several data entry and sewing parties at burning Man HQ. I worked one day for the Global Leadership Conference. One day at the Newbie Orientation. One night at the Burnal Equinox. Precompression is coming up and at least one more Census work/party. So I would say my volunteer job couldn't be better. Oh yeah. I have a new volunteer date with the philanthropic engagement team. I love to keep busy. Can't wait to retire at the end of this year so I can really help out and get involved.

[Ratty]