"Saving the World, One Animal at a Time"

NEW TIMES THIS YEAR!

 

Please review the different volunteer opportunities and their respective requirements, then sign up below (or reply to the email Traci sent you). Description of assistance is subject to change at any time.

​

 

 

Event Prep - DAY BEFORE EVENT

Saturday, December 6th, Time TBD this week!

​

 

This year, we will need two people to help us unload the storage unit and load the U-Haul with all the decor. This will be in Mission Valley.

You will need to be able to lift heavy boxes and decor of odd shapes.

It is best to bring gloves for a good grip and a back brace. Have a dolly? Please bring it for you to use. We are very limited in the number of carts available at the storage facility on Saturdays.

​

 

Sunday, December 7th, EVENT DAY!​

​

 

Event Setup: 7 am - 10 am Standing, lifting, and carrying medium to heavy items may require raising your arms above your head, as well as performing a lot of bending motions that put stress on your knees and back. Wearing a back brace or belt is a great idea.​

 

Unloading the U-Haul truck at the event venue and taking the items to the appropriate areas of the event space. Everything is labeled, and maps will be provided! Build decorations as they are in boxes, ie, reindeer, snowmen, Christmas trees. This is VERY time-consuming, and we will need a LOT of help here. ( This will also be done in reverse at the end of the event, usually 3–6 pm.)

YOU WILL HELP SET UP THE WELCOME BOOTH, MILITARY GIFT SHOP, PHOTO BOOTH AREAS, GAMES, CRAFTS, BRACELET MAKING STATION, FACEPAINTING, AND STORYTIME AREAS. 

​

Decorating: 7 am - 10 am Sitting and Standing, Lifting, pulling, pushing, walking, carrying items, etc. If you are great at decorating and have an eye for design, this is perfect for you! This is where we need a lot of help! We have a lot of decor that needs to be unboxed and set up. For example, our Christmas trees are all in boxes that need to be unboxed, fluffed out, placed where they belong, and have a tree skirt placed around the bottom. 

​​

Welcome Booth: 7 am - 3pm Sitting and Standing, Some Light Lifting

If you love people, are super bubbly, and may even be a great salesperson, this place is for you! We need people to help set the welcome booth up by 10am. You will greet all of our guests, check them in, review their paper or electronic tickets, and verify them on the guest list. You will also be accepting donations and money for any Donation tickets ordered on the event day. You will distribute Welcome Bags and direct people to their designated locations. You will also inform people about Traci's Paws, Unleash the Holiday Cheer, and suggest a donation. Give wristbands to each member of the military or veteran family in attendance. Example: If there are two adults, three kids, one infant, and one teenager, all seven people will receive a wristband and must wear it to the Military Appreciation Holiday Gift Shop. Parents will wear an infant, toddler, or any wristband of a child who cannot wear one. Please inform these families that they must present this to the volunteers at the gift shop.

 

If you see people with pets dressed up, ask them if they are entered in the Pet Costume Contest. If not, we do not accept same-day entrants.

If so, send them to Care with Fenway's Runway, so she can check them in and provide instructions.

​

 

Military Appreciation Holiday Gift Shop: 7:00 am - 4:00 pm- Sitting and Standing, Light to Heavy Lifting, and a lot of bending down on knees and back. There is more work involved in setting up this booth, and we need a lot of help here between 7–10 am and. This will be easier on those who cannot lift, when we are just checking families in and out.

This year, we will have at least 1,000 unwrapped presents that each military or veteran individual or family in attendance will get to "shop" for.

We will also have our Free Vet Care voucher applications available, which will be very important for the recipient to fill out their information and confirm it is correct before they leave.

 

Gifts: Everything is in boxes that we need to unpack, and either set onto the tables, fold or hang up. They'll start out in bins, and be organized to make it easy for you to put it in the right area ie: Adult men, women, infant-children, toys, home goods, etc.

​

Each military/veteran or member of the family will be given a wristband at the Welcome Booth, and they will come in and "shop" for 1 item each. 

We will need volunteers to help us set up this area by placing all of the clothes and other items on tables or hanging them on hangers BEFORE the event begins.

 

We need volunteers at two tables to help "check" the military/veterans out. We need to keep track of items that go out and who they go to. We will have forms for this. And again, to make sure they don't take more than one gift to ensure we have enough for everyone. 

Some gifts are high-priced but are small in size, so we will have little pre-made stocking stuffers in mini stockings for them.

EXAMPLE: If there are two adults and three kids, one infant, and one teenager, all seven people will get a wristband and must wear it to the Military Appreciation Holiday Gift Shop. Parents will wear infant, toddler, and any wristband of a child who cannot wear one. Let these families know they must show this to the volunteer at the gift shop. MUST BE PRESENT TO GET A PRESENT! Also, we have had families sneak multiple things and sell them, and we will lose funding. If you see this, very discreetly speak with them in private, letting them know they can only take one, but have that person come find me, because times are VERY tough right now, and I want to help as many families as possible, and if they need more gifts, I can try to help, but need to speak with them.

 

At the end of the event, we have to neatly pack everything that is left over and break things down that go back to our storage unit. Not much, but it is VERY important to put the correct stuff in the correct bins; they're labeled. You may sit the empty bins inside each other and stack them and the lids.

​

​

Santa: 11:00–3 pm. Standing/Sitting

We will need help getting families and kids lined up and handing out the kids' presents. You may also help our photographer, Dave, keep the attention of young children and pets to ensure a fabulous photo! Several families tell us they come every year to take pictures for their holiday cards. We also need help making sure the backdrop and decor look their best at all times, and that there is no sun on the guests or Santa during their photo.

This goes wrong every year, LOL! Also, please help Santa by giving away the dog toys and kid gifts we have here. We really prefer this volunteer to wear our little holiday accessories to look the most festive for our families.

​

 

Pet Costume Contest: 12 pm -1 pm. Standing, Sitting.

This year, to alleviate some of the work involved in producing UTHC, I reached out to local businesses for sponsorship. This year, Fenway's Runway has volunteered to run this portion of our event.

Care with Fenway's Runway is the point of contact and can use some help with getting people lined up for their category behind the tent, walking them out to cross the red carpet, and passing out winner's prizes, ribbons, and trophies. She can also use someone to help her make a judgment. I already got some little judge ribbons that you can wear! I can provide you with her information if you'd like to help her.

​

Storytime with Candyland Princess: 11 am - 2:30pm Sitting, reading, wearing our princess accessories

Storytime will be every 15 minutes, starting at 11:30 am and ending at 2:30 pm, as long as kids are there. Last year we didn't have that many shifts.

​​

​

Characters: 11 am - 3pm Standing, walking, saying hi to our guests.

We have an inflatable costume and a few other holiday outfits of various sizes we'd like to have volunteers wear throughout the event,

 

 

Crafts & Bracelet Making: 11 am - 3pm: Sitting, using hands to help guide people/kids working on crafts, making bracelets.

​

 

Games: 11 am - 3pm

Assisting kids with carnival games. Sitting or standing.

​

 

Facepainting: 11 am - 3pm, sitting

​

You may use stencils or free paint with our materials and face paint.​

 

 

Floaters: 12 pm-3 pm. Standing, Sitting, Walking.

​

You will help relieve volunteers for bathroom breaks, snacks, a short break to walk around and enjoy the event, or assist in other busy areas, especially at the Welcome Booth and the Pet Costume Contest.

​

Event Tear Down: 3 pm-6 pm latest. Standing, lifting, and carrying medium to heavy items may raise your arms above your head, a lot of bending motions for your knees and back. Wearing a back brace or belt is a great idea.

​

We need help transferring all of our event decor and boxes from the event site to our U-Haul truck, and then assisting with unloading the U-Haul truck into our storage unit in Hotel Circle. We are usually finished between 5–6 pm. I think this year we will be able to finish early.