by Penni Echols
Our conference would not be possible without volunteers. Over 400 individual volunteer assignments were filled by Conference attendees and local area partners. Volunteering at Conference is the ultimate gift of kindness to our community.
Professionals
Beginning with the planning of the conference, dozens of dedicated professionals volunteered their time and expertise to provide the educational content. In addition to their presentations in general sessions and breakout sessions, the professionals also took time to answer every question asked. Many also spent time in camp to ensure the sensory needs of the campers were met. Highly skilled interpreters, familiar with the communication needs of individuals with deafblindness and CHARGE syndrome, donated their time to ensure that every attendee was able to participate in educational and recreational activities. Registration was staffed by a large group of volunteers from the Perkins School for the Blind, who also provided social stories on what to expect at the conference, allowing attendees to prepare for all the learning opportunities and activities during the event.
Locals
We had many helping hands from families and community supporters in the local area who assisted with the physical preparation for the conference. They received hundreds of items in advance of the event and then helped prepare handouts, merchandise, evening event activities, and camp supplies to be ready for use. Local partners included the Arizona Deafblind Project, Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind, the Phoenix 100 Rotary Club, and Starbucks.
Attendees
Individuals with CHARGE volunteered in all areas of the conference, including presenting in general and breakout sessions. Steven Muck and his mother, Valerie, volunteered every day during the conference. They helped to greet attendees at meals, set up evening events, and arrived early to the conference to help assemble raffle baskets. Tim Halloran always lends a hand during conference. We love to see him greeting attendees at meals, and this year, he made sure that everyone at the CHARGE-a-Palooza event had as many glow bracelets as they wanted. Brandon Marshall is the captain of the unofficial “Guys Night Out,” and he always makes sure that everyone feels welcome. He helped organize conference supplies early in the week, assembled registration bags, organized and assembled raffle baskets, spent time in camp, and helped at every evening event. If you stopped by the sales table during registration, Phil Wismer was there to assist you. Everyone loved catching up with him, and he was a great salesman.
Many siblings of individuals with CHARGE made an impact as volunteers. Max and Zach Wendoll mobilized boxes of supplies for every evening event and then returned each night to help with the cleanup. Peter Lynn helped with the basket raffle setup and became an expert in using the hotel carts to move items from storage to the event space. Entire families came together to work. The Harvey family from Utah arrived early to unbox and organize conference items and moderated several breakout sessions. The Shikora family was instrumental in making sure everyone had fun on Saturday night. We were thankful for the help from the families of our Board and staff who picked up shifts in camp, worked in registration and sales tables, and were instrumental in assembling and maintaining the community art projects.
With so many valued volunteers during the conference, it is impossible to acknowledge each act publicly. The volume of your impact is truly immeasurable because it touches every minute of our time together. It is incredible what we built together in Phoenix, and together, we will do it again in Dallas. Thank you for sharing your unique skills and talents to make our conference accessible, informational, safe, and fun.
If you are interested in Volunteering with the Foundation, please click here to fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.
