Volunteer FAQ

Q. Can I still volunteer even though I can’t make it to the Mandatory Volunteer Orientation?

A.  Yes, although please contact us if you know you can’t make it to the meeting. If you have filled out the volunteer form on our website after the orientation date, we will get in touch with you about volunteer positions available. We will send you an orientation packet online for you to complete and return to us.  We ask that you try your hardest to prioritize this meeting if possible. If child care is an issue for you during the orientation, please contact us.

 

Q. What if I don’t know my schedule yet and I’m not 100% sure if I can commit to being at camp?

A.  Having our volunteers trained and informed about our GRL guidelines and camp procedures are vital to making the camp function smoothly. If you don’t know your schedule and aren’t sure where you will be during camp week, please consider attending the showcase or helping with GRL activities outside of camp. There are a few off-site flexible positions such as Street Team, where you can commit to passing out fliers and raising awareness on your own time. Share our posts on social media! There is so much you can do, even if you can’t make it to camp. Unfortunately, it is not helpful for volunteers to show up at camp without clear duties and an understanding of how the camp is supposed to run.

 

Q. What if I’m not a musician, but I have other awesome skills I think I could contribute to camp? Do I need to have musical experience to volunteer?

A.  Great news! There are so many other important, non-musical duties that we need help with at camp. These range from cool-down staff (emotional support), vibe crew (crafts, cleaning, misc. tasks), lunch and snack crew, workshop leaders, gear crew, and more! Please see our volunteer form for more information on non-musical volunteer opportunities at camp.

 

Q. What if I’m a beginner at playing instruments? Can I still be an instrument instructor or band mentor?

A.  Chances are if you know some basic chords, you can be an instructor. You do not need to have years of experience, and you do not have to prove that you are good at playing instruments! We will have some experienced instructors leading but please inquire about being an assistant instructor on your volunteer form. There will be campers that are complete beginners, and if you know a few things, then there are a few things you can teach them!

Band mentors are not necessarily all musicians, although having some musical background is helpful. We are strategic about pairing folks with musical experience with others that perhaps have some other skills that are beneficial, such as conflict-resolution, team building, lyric writing, and enthusiasm!

 

Q. What if I can only be at camp part-time?

A.  There are many volunteer opportunities for you if you can only be at camp certain days, or only in the mornings or afternoons. Band mentoring is the only position that requires you be there every day, and instrument instructors will need to be at camp the first 3 mornings. All other volunteer positions are flexible, and we will try to plug you in where we can.

 

Q. Does GRL provide child care at camp? Can I bring my small child with me while I volunteer at camp?

A.  At the moment we do not have a system set up for child care on-site. Bringing your child to camp with you is not ideal for a few reasons. We feel our workshop content is too mature for children under 12. It can also be distracting to campers and volunteers. We have not previously had the volunteer capacity to coordinate childcare. Please contact us if you are interested in coordinating childcare services.

That said, we love and appreciate you moms! We want to support you in what ways we can. If childcare is a problem for you, please talk to a GRL board member and we will do what we can to help you out!

 

Q. What if my child is a camper and I want to volunteer?

A.  Please get explicit consent from your child to be a volunteer camp!

If you want to volunteer because you want to be part of your child’s experience at camp, we ask that you reconsider. It is wonderful how much you love your child, however, we feel it is important to give space at camp for your child to develop and grow autonomously. That said, there are many opportunities for you to volunteer, and we hope that you will take into consideration giving space to your child when signing up. For example, be a Band Mentor, but not in the band that your child is in; or sign up for cool-down staff, snack crew, gear crew, or another position that is not in direct contact with your child.

 

Q. I’m a cisgender male and want to support the camp. How can I help?

A.  You can help in so many ways! Here are a few:

  • Join Lunch Crew - this is off-site and is a daily need for our camp to run.

  • Donate or loan your music gear.

  • Be on the Street Team and help us flyer for the showcase and get the word out!

  • Lend graphic design, gear repair and other behind-the-scenes skills and resources.

  • Attend the GRL Annual Showcase @ Liberty Hall.

  • Sponsor a camper or donate to GRL.

  • Be an awesome ally! Spread the word about our mission and practice our guidelines.

  • Fundraising and event planning: Do you have access to a venue we can use for our events? Do you have contacts with potential donors? Do you have female, trans, or nonbinary friends who are musicians and would like to perform at a GRL event?

  • Get creative! Let us know what resources and skills you have that might be helpful to GRL.