It’s National Volunteer Week! In honour of our amazing cohort of volunteers and friends of the community, we’re shining a volunteer spotlight on Rebekah, one of our longest-serving and most dedicated volunteers. Please, if you’re around the market any time, but particularly this week, show our wonderful volunteers some love!
Rebekah
I started volunteering for Harvest Launceston Community Farmers’ Market in May 2016. What motivated me to volunteer was a desire to meet people, re-connect with my community and have something to do on the weekend after living overseas for nearly a decade.
My first volunteer shift was on a cold autumn day. I did a double shift on the market gates where I provided a friendly welcome to market patrons, counted them as they entered, and ensured market rules, such as no smoking or cycling, were followed. Despite being a cold day in the shade the entire time, I came back.
Since starting volunteering for Harvest, I have undertaken multiple roles. These have spanned setting up the market early in the morning, providing information at the Harvest Stall, educating market patrons on waste disposal, and packing the market up at the end of the day . Ultimately, I do what ever needs to be done. These days, I am most likely to be found at the Harvest Stall. Here I provide information to patrons on the market and stallholders, as well as, most importantly, keep the Market Managers on their toes.
I keep volunteering at Harvest because I enjoy the market. It is my happy place. I just love all the stallholders, the other volunteers, and the market patrons. I love the sense of community and the fact that it happens every Saturday. Where else would you want to be on a Saturday morning?
My final little bit of advice about volunteering for Harvest is you do not have to be a little crazy or weird to volunteer at the market, but it does help.
Thanks for reading our Volunteer Spotlight. Not all of our cohort loves the limelight, but believe us they all deserve their 15 minutes. When we manage to convince them, we’ll show them the same glorious treatment as Rebekah here.
See you in the morning!