Volunteer Job Descriptions for the 2005 Common Ground Country Fair

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Volunteers staying until Monday are encouraged to help with parking, safety, or the Common Kitchen on Sunday afternoon from 1 pm until the end of the Fair.

*AUTO GATE: Directing special vehicles to proper areas on the Fairgrounds. Volunteers needed from 6 a.m. until late evening, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the Fair.

BICYCLE PARKING: Helping cyclists check their bicycles as they come through the gates. Volunteers needed for four-hour shifts daily. Some set-up help needed as well.

**CHILDREN'S AREA: Assisting in organizing children's games, arts and crafts, and face painting. All volunteers share in all the jobs. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old to work in the Children's Area. Volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the Fair. Shifts are only available as follows: 8 am - 12 noon; 9 am - 1 pm; 12 noon - 4 pm; and 2 pm - 6 pm.

*CLEAN-UP: Taking down shelves, collecting tables, cleaning Fairgrounds, packing and loading for storage. Volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, September 27 through Sunday, October 10. We may finish by October 6 this year, so call first if you plan to help after that date.

*COMMON KITCHEN: Preparing and serving meals; delivering meals to volunteers around grounds; washing dishes, pots and pans, etc...; counting volunteers as they come through lunch and dinner lines. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to work in the Common Kitchen. Covered shoes are required. No sandals. For Saturday, September 18 through Wednesday, September 22, volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. For Thursday, September 23 through Sunday, September 26, volunteers are needed from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.. For Monday, September 27 through Friday, October 1, volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

*COUNTRY STORE: Helping with fast paced retail sales of CGCF Merchandise in the Country Store. Volunteers interested in this job should be comfortable with selling, restocking shelves and refolding shirts.

EXHIBITION HALL: Registering entries, setting up displays, and general assistance in the Exhibition Hall. For registration and set-up, volunteers needed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For general assistance, volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the Fair.

*FIRST AID: Current training in CPR, First Responder, Wilderness Responder or related first aid course is required.

FOOT RACE: Setting up foot race course, registering and providing water for competitors. Volunteers needed from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.

GENERAL: If you don't have a special preference we will schedule you where and when the need for help is greatest.

GOPHER: Taking water and meals to parking attendants, restocking toilet paper in port-a-potties. Great job for younger persons. Volunteers needed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the Fair.

HORSESHOES & MANURE PITCH-OFF: Preparing area, registering competitors, presenting awards, and cleaning up area after competition. Shovels provided. Volunteers should: be good with numbers; be able to lift about 25 pounds; and bring their own rubber boots and coveralls just in case. Volunteers needed for three-hour shifts beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday during the Fair.

INFORMATION BOOTH: Providing information to Fairgoers; giving directions and updates on special programs and changes, etc. Familiarity with layout of Fairgrounds and activities essential. A great way to learn more about the Fair. Volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the Fair.

LIVESTOCK: Controlling crowds near livestock, keeping Fairgoers out of stalls, shoveling manure, and ensuring safety in the area. Covered shoes are required. Opening and closing gates during horse shows. Volunteers must be high school age or older. Volunteers needed for four-hour shifts (6 a.m. to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.), Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

**PARKING: Directing vehicles to proper areas. Volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Special benefits for volunteers on Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm.

*RECYCLING: Emptying trash barrels, cleaning Fairgrounds, and sorting collected trash at the recycling tent. During the Fair, volunteers needed from 10 a.m. until late evening, Friday; and 6 a.m. until late evening, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday after the Fair, volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

*SAFETY:

DAYTIME SAFETY: Patrolling Fairgrounds to ensure safety. Volunteers who work two safety shifts get a safety crew hat. Volunteers needed for 5-hour shifts (8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Volunteers must be 16 or older.

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT: Patrolling Fairgrounds to ensure safety during evening entertainment. Volunteers who work two safety shifts get a safety crew hat. Volunteers needed for 5-hour shifts (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) Friday and Saturday evenings of the Fair. Volunteers must be 18 or older. There will be a special benefit for these volunteers.

NIGHTTIME SAFETY: Patrolling Fairgrounds to ensure safety during the night. Each shift is sevenhours, and counts as two four-hour shifts. Volunteers who work two safety shifts get a safety crew hat. Volunteers needed from 6 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and 1:00 a.m. to 6 a.m., Thursday to Friday, Friday to Saturday, and Saturday to Sunday during Fair nights. Volunteers must be 18 or older. There will be a special benefit for these volunteers.

*SET-UP: Moving items from storage and distributing them around the Fairgrounds. Carpentry, cleaning, painting, hanging signs, distributing tables, setting up Common Kitchen, putting out trash barrels, etc. Volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, September 17 through Thursday, September 23.

SHUTTLE ASSISTANTS: Help fairgoers get on and off the shuttles to the south parking lot.

SIGNS: Before the Fair, volunteers needed for making, sorting and helping distribute signs (see times listed in Set-Up above). After the Fair, volunteers needed for collecting, counting and bundling signs for storage (see times listed in Clean-Up above).

SPECIAL JOBS: There are special jobs that need to be done during the Fair. Check at the Volunteer booth for these.

*TICKET GATE: Taking tickets and handing out Fairbooks. Volunteers needed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday during the Fair.

*TICKET SELLERS: Selling tickets. Must be at least 18 years old, known to a MOFGA staff or Board Member, comfortable with handling money, and able to make change accurately under pressure. Ticket sellers get a MOFGA hat. Volunteers needed for three four-hour shifts (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.) Friday, Saturday, Sunday during the Fair.

VOLUNTEER AREA: Registering, scheduling, substituting volunteers. Volunteer gate attendants, and general volunteers wait for assignments in this area. Volunteers needed for four-hour shifts (6 a.m. to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) Friday, Saturday, Sunday during the Fair. We also need volunteer(s) on Sunday to help with the Volunteer raffle.

VOLUNTEER DELIVERY SERVICE: Help fairgoers who have purchased heavy items so that they can get their goods to their vehicles.

* Special need/qualification.
** Always need lots of volunteers.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
Common Ground Country Fair
PO Box 170
Unity, ME 04988
Phone: 207-568-4142
Fax: 207-568-4141
Email: cgcf@mofga.org