I finally stopped rolling my eyes at volunteer coordinators... then one proved me wrong in Knoxville

For years I figured those park cleanup signup drives were just busywork for people who like clipboards. Then last spring a flood messed up the greenway near my route and I had three free hours. The coordinator handed me a trash picker and pointed at a mud pit full of soda cans and broken plastic. Nobody watched the clock, she actually hauled bags with us, and by 1pm we had 40 bags gone. The next week the city posted before and after photos and I spotted my own boot prints in the mud. Has anyone else had a volunteer gig that turned out way more real than the flyer made it seem?

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amybarnes26d ago

That Knoxville coordinator sounds like the rare exception, because most organized volunteer stuff I've done feels more like checking a box than actually fixing anything. It's funny how the real work always comes down to one person who treats the mess like it's their own backyard.