Union Street Art Festival - June 1-2, 2002

REVIEW:

I'm happy to report that all went well at this event. I spent the better part of Saturday preparing and serving yummy food and getting to know more about the Uhuru Movement in general and Uhuru Concessions in particular. The organization, which raises funds for programs in African-American communities, has been around in the Bay Area for more than 20 years and has ties to similar organizations throughout the country.

Our booth was operated by organized yet fun-loving men and women of all ages and various ethnicities. Only two or three of the participants were regulars. The rest of us were making our first appearances with the group, mostly attracted by posts on volunteermatch and craigslist. But the most selfless act was displayed by an older Asian man and his son, who upon seeing the sign requesting more help, took off their jackets, washed their hands and put in a full shift's work chopping vegetables, folding pamphlets and assisting in any other ways needed.

In fact, the whole flow of the day had a self-choreographed feel, with each person trading duties depending on their particular location when a request was made. If you were near the fryer when more falafel balls were needed, you made them up and dropped them. If you happened to be at the window when a customer came by, you fixed them a sandwich. It was anarchic symphony.

The organizers were flexible with assignments and even shift times, assuaging folks who were apologetically late. In truth, virtually everyone worked longer than the requested four hours. We all made quick trips around the corner to see the bands, check the artwork or pick up trinkets. Between the good spirit in the booth, the lively crowd outside and the beautiful weather above us, it could not have been better. In short, work has never been so good while being so rewarding.

Don't think you missed your chance, though. I'll be submitting more opportunities, and i hope you do the same.

Added June 2, 2002
By C. "Claxton" Murray

Hello,

I'm writing to inform you I will be volunteering at the Union Street Art Festival on Saturday, June 1st and invite you to join me.

I've signed up through volunteermatch.org to work with Uhuru Concessions, a nonprofit that campaigns for social justice and economic development in the African community in the U.S.

You can see a complete description of the opportunity at: http://www.volunteermatch.org/

In the spirit of the AmbitiousAddict, I would encourage anyone interested in helping out at this event to contact me either through the Deeds forum or a personal email. I would be more than happy to show you around the bars in my neighborhood (Haight-Ashbury) when the work is done.

See you soon!

Added May 22, 2002
By C. "Claxton" Murray