How to Prepare Yourself for Out-of-State Events

Over the past couple of weeks we have been covering the basics of volunteering and today we are going continue the trend of preparing yourself for out of state events. Do your research on the event and location before booking anything and prepare yourself on your surroundings. Think of it like a vacation, which it technically is, and imagine how you would prepare yourself for it. Think of W.A.I.T: weather, attire, itinerary, and time. 

Weather

New York Road Runner Event

Knowing what you are getting yourself into through mother nature is always the way to start planning. Such as knowing if it is colder in a different state, if it is going to be raining/snowing, or if it will be warm and sunny for you! You want to know what you are getting yourself into when you are visiting a place so you know what to pack and what to pack extra of if needed. 

Attire

Basing your attire off the weather is everything because you don't want to be at an outdoor event dressed in summer clothes when it will be cold and raining instead. You rather have a rain jacket, rain boots, and warmer clothes prepared for that event day. If the event is inside, you want to dress on how the event is supposed to be (business causal, business professional, or causal) and still being able to be comfortable. You also want to make sure that you know what you are doing and dress for the event like if it is hiking, cleaning up from a disaster, or a formal fundraiser; you want to dress to fit in with everyone else. 

Itinerary

Travel Itinerary Template

You want to know what you are planning to do in the limited time you have at that location. You want to know and understand what you are volunteering for and how to plan your day around that. Understanding your event you are attending is huge because you want to know how much time you are spending there, how far away the event and hotel is, and details on your travel information (train/plane times, driving distance, taxi delays, etc.) is important way to start planning your trip itinerary.

 

Time

Bouncing off the itinerary section, time is a key part of traveling. Making sure you have enough time to get to your destinations, time spent to get ready, time to enjoy the location you are visiting, and everything in-between. Time is a valuable resource and should be used wisely because you don't want to miss an opportunity if it comes up and fits in your open space. Time is also a big factor in booking your trip because you want to make sure it lines up with your personal and work life to volunteer. Time is last to understand because it is one of the hardest things to line everything up with. Volunteering and the event you have chosen may take more or less time than expected so plan ahead and just book your time to be a half hour to an hour more than expected. 

If you keep in mind W.A.I.T, planning your trip should be easy! The only hard part is planning what out of state trip you want to take first. There is so many to choose from such as helping clean up after a natural disaster, helping clean up national parks, lending a hand at a fundraiser for a non-profit you care a lot about, or even helping rescue animals and bringing them to a safe shelter. The possibilities are endless, but making sure that you are able to do it and willing to make a difference is the hardest part. 

Volunteer

For more information regarding upcoming events, check Much Difference website and check out new events that may be starting up. Contact Dee Muchowicz for more information on tips about volunteering or any questions directly.