Volunteer

Volunteer!

Volunteer to be a SisterSpace worker! Volunteer workers are the backbone of the festival. Without our fabulous, dedicated volunteers, none of it would be possible. Volunteering is a great way to get to know your sisters, and to learn about what goes into creating a festival!

Please read the information below about volunteering. Then, if you are interested, please fill out our Volunteer Form.

Here’s some background on SisterSpace’s volunteer culture and what you can expect as a volunteer:

SisterSpace Weekend Women’s Festival is planned and executed entirely by volunteers. Volunteering is a great way for women who want to have a positive impact on our festival community to meet new people and get more involved.

Most volunteers are expected to commit 12 to 16 hours of time working at the Weekend in exchange for a greatly reduced admission fee. (A few specialized volunteer positions require less time. A very few positions, marked with **, require much more time.) Most positions will require you to arrive Thursday afternoon or evening (a few require arrival on Thursday morning). Some positions may require that you stay through Monday morning.

Volunteers are cordially invited to attend our worker-only “get-together/party” Sunday evening after the close of the festival; it’s a fun way to relax, kick back, and celebrate a successful SisterSpace with your fellow volunteers.

Volunteering can be hard work as well as fun. Volunteers, doing what they committed to do, are vital to the success of the festival. We need people who are truly interested in pitching in to make SisterSpace Weekend Women’s Festival function well, and who are willing to commit to showing up and fulfilling their role to the best of their ability. If your sole reason for volunteering is for the reduced admission, we strongly suggest that you consider applying for a Send-A-Sister discounted admission instead.

So – let’s recap:

• For most positions, volunteers are required to work 12 to 16 hours during the course of the festival, in exchange for steeply discounted festival admission, which includes on-site lodging and meals. A few specialized areas require fewer hours per volunteer. A few areas require more than 16 hours per volunteer; these are marked with ** asterisks.
• Volunteers generally contribute $125 toward their festival registration instead of full price registration fee. In certain cases, particularly where volunteers work over 20 hours per person, the contribution may be lower. Subsidies are available for low-income volunteers, depending on donations from our community.
• Volunteers are not required to submit a $50 workshift deposit.
• Most positions require volunteers to arrive Thursday afternoon or evening (a few areas require Thursday morning arrival); and some may require volunteers to stay until Monday morning.
• Volunteers are invited to attend our workers’ get-together Sunday evening at the close of the festival.

Fill out the volunteer application and check the list of volunteer opportunities below to see what’s available. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@sisterspace.org. Thanks!

SisterSpace Weekend Women’s Festival Volunteer Areas

Below are general descriptions of each volunteer area. Choose your top three options. We will check to see if there are spots available in those areas, and if so, assign you accordingly. Once your area has been decided, we will send you an email. Then you can register using the link on the volunteer email. Registration for most volunteer areas is $125. Note: areas marked “n/a” are by prior arrangement only, and will require an interview to determine eligibility. Please do not choose more than one “n/a” area in your 3 volunteer choices. Certain other areas requiring specialized skills may also require an interview to determine eligibility. Interviews are via Zoom or phone.

Accessibility/ASL: ASL-proficient persons, responsible for assisting Deaf and Hard-of-hearing persons at the festival. May include helping with registration and other needs of Deaf/HOH individuals throughout the event, e.g., workshops, end-of-festival meeting, etc.

Accessibility/ASL Interpreters – Performance: Experienced ASL interpreters comfortable with on-stage interpreting. Advance preparation with performer lyrics/scripts, as well as on-stage interpretation for shows, and opening/closing ceremonies.

Accessibility/Mobility: responsible for driving golf carts, to shuttle people who need help getting around the land.

Accessibility/General: responsible for recognizing and addressing any issues that may arise during the festival concerning the ADA community.

Art Space: help monitor the Art Space, keep it picked up, and help out during workshops and art projects if needed.

Artist Care: set up performer cabins (making beds, putting hand towels in bathrooms, making sure everything is clean, neat, and welcoming). Set up backstage area (decorate it, set up chairs and tables and mirrors, see to it that the artists receive their pre-requested items). Make sure the performers know their schedule and help them get where they need to go and be comfortable during their stay. Also: Well-maintained vehicles with good drivers are needed to pick up performers at airport or train station.

Bonfire: make sure bonfire has wood available and keep it going during the evening/nighttime when people are gathered there; and extinguish it safely at the end of the evening.

Business & Finance: n/a

Camp Cleanup: responsible for picking up trash and recyclables throughout the weekend.

Camper Services/Radios: sit at information table in main gathering building. Keep track of workshop, workshift, performance, and other schedule changes (which will be updated to you as they occur). Answer camper questions or direct them to the correct person for answers.

Community Safety/Security: take shifts, especially during the evening and night hours. Be on-call for emergencies. 

DJ: experienced DJ with your own portable gear to play female-positive music at the gate during Registration on Friday, and possibly some hours on Saturday.

General Store: sell store merchandise and/or run grill for fast food menu. 

Hospitality: greet people as they arrive at registration, hand out water and welcome packets, and get them signed up for work shifts. 

Karaoke: set up the karaoke machine and run it during the activity; keep the energy up.

Kitchen: work in main kitchen as prep, cook, and/or dishwasher. We always need cooks and willing helpers!  We are proud to feed hundreds of women delicious, nutritious meals from Friday lunch through Sunday brunch.

Laundry: on Sunday, take linens, blankets, comforters, etc., from performer cabins and do laundry at laundromat next town over. (May do kitchen laundry as well but that can be done during the day on Sunday on the land. We have a regular sized machine available.) Money for laundromat will be provided.

Maintenance: reasonably handy persons, to be on call if campers need assistance in cabins, restocking toilet paper, fixing stopped toilets, any small fix or assistance. (For bigger problems, the camp staff gets called back in)

Medical: qualified personnel, on-call for medical emergencies.

Parking: assist arriving campers with where to go for registration, where to park their vehicles, and with getting their belongings into the shuttle.

Pool: certified lifeguards, on duty at our large swimming pool.

Send-a-Sister: n/a

Set Up & Breakdown: arrive early Thursday morning, get supplies out of storage unit situated on the land. Deliver supplies to areas and help out with assorted set-up tasks as needed. On Sunday afternoon and again on Monday morning, collect supplies and return to storage. Requires ability to lift up to 40 pounds.

Sexuality Space: n/a

Sports: staff scheduled sports events to hand out equipment, and if needed, get people organized into teams and the games started. Make sure equipment is in an accessible spot and organized for people looking for impromptu games.  For qualified persons: Run, judge, or referee Flag Football Tournament, and/or Kickball Tournament, and/or Cornhole Tournament. (This volunteer area may be combined with time in another area to make the full minimum hours).

Stage: set up and break down the performance areas, help set up lights and sound, and do set changeovers during performances. Requires ability to lift 25 pounds and climb stairs. Thursday morning start time. **

Sweat Lodge: gathers wood to build the sweat lodge, helps construct/tear down the lodge, tends fire, the lodge, and helps participants, helps with opening and closing sweat lodge ceremony and blessing. **

Transportation: shuttles campers and their belongings from parking lot to tents/cabins. Also runs into town on errands if needed, including picking up campers and workers from the train station in a nearby town. Safe drivers only, please.

Videos: makes sure films/videos are up and running properly at their scheduled time.

Volunteer Coordination: n/a

Workshops: makes sure workshop spaces are neat, greets presenter(s), and makes sure she/they have everything needed. Keeps list updated with any changes that may affect schedules, and communicates changes with Camper Services.

Worker Support: help create a relaxing physical space where workers can unwind. Be responsible for distributing worker gifts, discounts, etc., and for worker support in general.