Owed to Volunteers!

By C.J. Hirschfield

Finding caterpillar eggs. Helping kids make fairy houses. Handing out treats on Halloween. Making popcorn for a family sleepover. Pulling weeds. Leading a Toddler Storytime.

These are just a handful of the many volunteer opportunities that Fairyland offers.

As we enter the new year, I want to take a moment to thank the 540 awesome Fairyland volunteers who contributed a total of 3,700 service hours in 2018. I’d like to reflect on the amazing work they helped us accomplish — without them, we simply would not have been able to serve as many happy kids as we did.

26 volunteers recently helped us take down our Fairy Winterland lights. This helper came to us from One Brick.

Who are these fairy godparents? A snapshot:

4 volunteers contributed more than 85 hours each
7 new inspiring Toddler Storytime readers were trained
10 Monarch Magicians saved more than 500 monarch butterflies
 

These 23 volunteer groups chose Fairyland as their focus for community service:

Alameda Adult Transition
Alameda Pediatric Dentistry
Arroyo High School
Berkeley High School
Blueprint Fellows
buildOn
Cal State East Bay, Alpha Phi Omega, Omicron Zeta Chapter
Clifbar
Great Schools
Harambee Community Services
Kaiser Permanente
Lending Club
Lake Merritt Breakfast Club
Oakland Rotary
One Brick
Oracle
Pandora
Piedmont Community Service Crew
Saint Anne's Youth Ministry
St. Paul's Episcopal School
The Junior League of Oakland-East Bay
Union Bank
Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture

Volunteers helped us with special events, park maintenance and beautification (gardening, animals, cleaning), office projects, event preparation and décor – and even conservation, with our Monarch Magic butterfly foster program.

A group of volunteers from Berkeley High School

  

Why do our volunteers choose Fairyland as the beneficiary of their wonderful work? I’ll let them explain.

Monica Ruck:

“I have enjoyed participating in the annual Jack O’Lantern Jamboree and Fairy Winterland celebrations as well as special arts and crafts and activity days. Stepping inside the park reminds me that no matter how old we are on the outside, we are all still young at heart and can experience the magic of fairytales and storybook endings, and of being the narrator of your own story.” 

Kaitlin Rupido and Alameda Adult Transition:

“This is the sixth year my program [for students with special needs] has been coming to volunteer at Oakland Fairyland, and we absolutely love it. Our students find serenity volunteering amid the quiet and magical park grounds, surrounded by the animals. Several of my students who have gone through our program are now employed at local businesses, and each employer has been impressed that they list Oakland Fairyland as their number-one volunteer site.”

A group from Alameda Adult Transition helped tie ribbons on our Magic Keys

Kingman Chin, Animal Department:

“I have lived in Oakland exclusively and Children's Fairyland was my first park experience as a child.  Volunteering at Fairyland is a way of giving back. It also provide respites from my present occupation as a caregiver. I love getting out early in the morning, biking to the lake and being in a place doing physical tasks in the presence of animals. Besides that, it’s a form of meditation that keeps the mind from distracting thoughts.”

Kim Abbott, who volunteered 124 hours in 2018:

“My daughter loved it as a child and we had birthday parties there. We would watch the puppet shows and then go home and make our own puppets. These are special memories and I wanted to give something back as a thank you. I also appreciated Fairyland’s support for my wife’s Court Appointed Special Advocate [foster] child, through a special park program. I believe anything I can do to help Fairyland is time well spent and enjoyed.”

Might you be interested in volunteering in our magical land? Here are two upcoming opportunities:

Game Day – Families drop by the Teddy Bear Picnic Area and play a variety of outdoor games and activities for children of all ages to promote their motor and problem-solving skills, including a giant Connect 4, hula hoops, bean-bag toss and bowling. Volunteers facilitate activities by reinforcing safety and inviting families and kids to play. Held on the first Saturday of every month, 11:15 to 1:45 p.m. The next Game Days are January 6, February 2 and March 2.

Volunteers served free cocoa and cider at our annual Fairy Winterland event

Lunar New Year Arts and Crafts – We will be celebrating the Year of the Pig with a fun arts-and-crafts activity in Miss Muffet's Garden. Volunteers will help kids with their projects. Saturday and Sunday, February 2 and 3, 1 to 3:45 p.m.

Whether you prefer office work, direct contact with cute kids, gardening, or working at our annual Gala fundraiser, Fairyland has something to fit your time and talents. Sign up to volunteer on our website or email us with questions at outreach@fairyland.org.

Happy new year!

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C.J. Hirschfield has served for 16 years as executive director of Children's Fairyland, where she is tasked with the overall operation of the nation’s oldest storybook theme park.