VOLUNTEER RESOURCE TEAM
Pre-event, when a Burning Man participant wants to investigate volunteering with a specific team or teams, they can review our Volunteer Options list in the side box on our participation information page, and then indicate their choice(s) on our volunteer questionnaire. On the desert, there is a station for more spontaneous and general volunteer opportunities at Burning Man: The V-Spot. Located in the Center Camp information services area of BRC adjacent to Playa-Info and BMIR, the V-Spot is staffed by the Volunteer Resource Team. The VRT works to find volunteer positions for participants and coordinates closely with all Burning Man departments to make sure their volunteer needs are filled. Our desks are located under the Playa Info shade with a perfect view of the Café and the Center Camp Portal.
To anyone who has spent any time on the East Coast, the V-Spot easily takes on the appearance of a front stoop where all the life of a city passes by. This makes volunteering at the V-Spot one of the best experiences in Black Rock City! Not only do you get to help participants find volunteer opportunities, but you also get to watch the parade of fabulousness go by while occupying the best seat on the Playa. Volunteers to this position are asked to have a good sense of humor and have no trouble at all answering the same question a million times a day. We work in close conjunction with Playa Info, so a good knowledge of Black Rock City is also helpful.
In San Francisco, the VRT produces "Spark Club" events which serve as social gatherings for our active staff and volunteers to gather, meet, get acquainted and mingle in a relaxed and fun environment. We plan these events with the goal of establishing working rapport with our peers that will serve us on-playa, and year-round; to foster a sense of community and to share and exchange information about what is happening throughout Burning Man. At the very best, these conversations may 'spark' new and good ideas, or ways of working, that have the potential for a positive impact Project-wide.
We are always looking for a few more energetic Bay Area peeps to join us in throwing events and to help out in other volunteer-appreciation-based capacities. In addition to our flagship events --- the potluck "BBQ-A-Noobie": a new-burner orientation picnic in June, and the Holiday Thank You party in the late fall --- we organize Spark Clubs and assist with other volunteer events on a semi-regular basis. Past events have included a Trivia Night, Ice Cream Social, Valentine's Day Do-Over, President's Day Hat Raffle, Burning Man Film Festival and a DPW Carnival, to name a few. Additionally, VRT assists in planning the semi-annual Burning Man Open House, and supporting staff meetings and training, and the annual Regional Network Leadership Summit.
Due to the small size and specialized nature of this team, VRT is not included on the Volunteer Questionnaire. In order to be added to the Volunteer Resource Team email list, we ask that you email Rooster, the Volunteer Resource Team Project Manager at rooster (at) burningman (dot) com. Remember that off-playa, VRT participation is limited to those local to the San Francisco Bay Area.
