Filling my trick-or-treat bag with volunteers

Fiery-eyed black cats, squawking ravens, pirates, pumpkins and an ominous black tree ablaze in purple lights infuse Halloween’s spirit within my home. It’s a seasonal joy. Even at my crone’s age, I still miss trick-or-treating in my homemade gypsy or hobo costume.

Besides the whimsical decorations in the house, I have one very real scary room. Like a haunted attic from a genre thriller film, this particular room causes me to tread lightly when nearing its doorway. Huge spiders are likely partying down, and I pray I don’t find any dead bodies behind the maze of boxes, baskets, poster boards and what have you. What was a spare bedroom is now my nightmare — a room known only by those who have jumped into the cauldron of event coordination. The room does have beds and dressers. But they now serve as vessels that hold cases of soup cups, compostable spoons (by the thousands), tablecloths, donated art, wine, jewelry and more. Once again, seasonal timing collides with the fundraiser I co-coordinate.

Some of the event committee was over earlier this month to work on one of the event’s projects. I swear I saw goosebumps on one of the volunteers as she glimpsed the darkened belly of the fundraising beast. This cringe-worthy sighting caused another to suggest, “I can help get this organized for you.” My mind’s eye saw her transform into a Wonder Woman costume ready to tackle this nightmare on Worcester Drive.

I declined her offer because I didn’t wish to watch her fall into the trap of the maniacal Halloween horror in that room. Yes, it’s that scary.

Which brings me to a moment of deep gratitude to all those volunteers who eagerly and freely give their time to help me and the other co-coordinator, Marcelle Bakula, stage a successful fundraiser two Sundays from now. If I could costume the following volunteers as angels for All Hallows’ Eve, I would. But for now I’m inclined to thank them here. From Cambria to San Luis Obispo, those persons who have made a difference include: Susan Belany, Nancy Bennett, Kathleen Brown, Meg Crockett, Janis Hudler, Andrea Muenter, Sue Oberholtzer, Jeanette Stone-Tierney, Diana Teetzel, Martin Thomas, Chelsea Ursoleo and David Wolfson. And let the baying hounds loose on me if I did not mention my single most important volunteer, the man who I simply refer to as Spouse.

Cup runneth over with volunteers

This list does not include all the other volunteers who will work the event, the chefs, the winery representatives and food samplers. And for those who donate merchandise and services that will be sold or auctioned off, well, I’m gobsmacked at the endless levels of generosity. It’s better than a stuffed trick-or-treat bag.

And it isn’t just this one event. It’s all the nonprofit events in this community and San Luis Obispo County that operate and succeed by volunteer efforts. Imagine Pinedorado without volunteers. Well, there would not be a Pinedorado without volunteers. Cambria’s Scarecrow Festival is volunteer dependent. Volunteers celebrated Cambria’s history during the recent Cambria Historical Society Harvest Festival.

As I write, I reek of red enchilada sauce (and that’s not a complaint). I just finished working with the local chapter of the Native Daughters of the Golden West (NDGW) where we made, from scratch, hundreds of enchiladas to benefit NDGW’s community efforts. Upcoming fundraisers like Viva Rotary and the Festival of Trees simply wouldn’t happen without leaders, volunteers and donors.

The community benefits from these efforts. And while I don’t doubt the exhaustion level of these volunteers, I don’t feel haunted when saying that at day’s end, each goes home with a bigger heart knowing that they are part of what I call a force for good. Each treat we hand to an effort that promotes improvement, a betterment, or a positive opportunity plants the seeds for a better world. From a quote I found in Daniel Goleman’s book, “A Force for Good — the Dalai Lama’s Vision for our World,” the Dalai Lama said, “Everything we do has some effect — even a simple act … it might seem insignificant, but when we multiply it by the billions of others who might do the same thing, we can have an enormous impact.”

So the biggest treat for me this season is those who have rallied around the cause of Pacific Wildlife Care and have supported next week’s Soupabration! From those who have stuffed envelopes, sought donors, have donated, organized and attended committee meetings, you are the mystic magic of the season. Thank you.

This story was originally published October 26, 2016 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Filling my trick-or-treat bag with volunteers."