The Creating Change host committee is looking for volunteers for the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual conference, which will be held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Jan. 18-22. Interested participants will have the opportunity to attend portions of the conference free of charge and to network with other attendees.
As of presstime, the committee needs 150 volunteers for daily operations and 30 volunteers for community housing.
Anyone over age 16 who lives in or within close proximity to Philadelphia can register as a volunteer on Creating Change’s website. A one-hour orientation program will allow participants to sign up for shifts on a first-come, first-serve basis. These sessions will be held noon-6 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.
Creating Change co-chair Aneesah Smith said many people “have misconceptions of what it means to volunteer for Creating Change,” such as believing they have to attend all five days of the conference. This is not the case, Smith noted. Instead, they sign up for a minimum shift of four hours on the day of their choice.
When participants aren’t working their shifts, they can attend workshops at the conference for the remainder of the day with no charge.
“What they’re getting is a full day of the conference, which is almost about $200 a day,” Smith said.
Additionally, volunteers can provide no-cost housing options for conference attendees. Interested participants can fill out a form on which they answer questions such as the type of sleeping space they are willing to provide, how many people they are willing to host and whether they are willing to provide transportation to guests. There are also questions related to pets and smoking.
While there is no compensation for participating hosts, Smith said the option provides good connections.
“Folks that need the housing are very grateful for the opportunity and have a great deal of respect for their hosts,” Smith said. “It sometimes ends up with really good friendships that people make [with each other].”
The National LGBTQ Task Force enforces its policies on sexual harassment, underage drinking and drug use on community-housing participants. Smith said the program has been successful in past years, but said there are other ways to participate, such as presenting a donation to put conference attendees in a nearby hostel.
“[Some people may say], ‘This doesn’t really feel good to me — hosting someone in my personal home — but I’d still love to give back,’” Smith said. “So there are other ways that they can help people with housing if they can’t open up their own home.”
In addition to a “thank you” dinner being held a few weeks after Creating Change, Smith mentioned the positive aspects of volunteering.
“I think what people ultimately get out of [the experience] is witnessing a community of almost 4,000 LGBTQ people and their allies and how we come together to celebrate,” Smith said. “Creating Change is such a great conference. There’s none like it in the world that brings together this many people.”
To volunteer for daily Creating Change Conference operations, visit http://bit.ly/volunteerCC17.
To volunteer as a community-housing host, visit http://bit.ly/CC17HostForm.