Irritated about last-minute call for volunteers

[Anonymous]

My DC's school is having an event today, and just this morning, I received a forwarded email asking for volunteers. The original email was sent to some other people two days ago. This is not the first time that I have been asked to help within 24 hours of an event, and while it is my day off, I have other plans. Am I the only one who hates these few-days-before appeals for help? When I was the volunteer coordinator, I would have everything lined up a week in advance, because I felt like it wasn't right to ask people to take off work/change their plans at the last minute.

Thanks for letting me vent!

[Anonymous]

I agree. This year seems worse at our school. Lots of requests, lots of last minute, and, every event has to include requests for food! Also, does everything have to happen in May/June? Lots of requests this time of year.

[Anonymous]

Just say no. Honestly, they can make all the appeals they want, but they cannot make me feel guilty for having a life outside of my kid's school.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I went ahead and enjoyed my original plans for today, but I did email the person coordinating the event this morning and offered to send an appeal to several other people, if help was still needed, and...she never got back to me. So now I don't feel badly at all. I tried...

[Anonymous]

I have to agree this time of year is crazy. We had an appeal for a large event on Friday afternoon for this last Wednesday. Frankly I was amazed that we got 50 people. That said, all school stuff of this sort is volunteer and everyone are facing crazy schedules.

[Anonymous]

I worked with our school for a couple of years on getting better about this, but at the end of the day the administration still couldn't be bothered to communicate timely and effectively with parents so I gave up. Now we just don't bother unless there's sufficient notice. When they finally figure out that their fundraising monies are declining because they've left notification until the last minute and parents just can't be bothered to scramble, perhaps they'll get their act together. I, for one, won't be holding my breath, though.

[Anonymous]

Sorry but are these parent volunteers putting out the call or school administrators? If the call is coming from parent volunteers, then you should probably only criticize them if you are willing to do their volunteer job yourself.

[Anonymous]

I stopped reading most of the room parent emails last fall - it was just stressing me out. Sorry, no, I can't just drop everything and show up at school in the middle of my workday every other week. And, no, I'm not running out shopping in the middle of the week for drinks, supplies, party treats, and art project supplies. Not going to happen. If you're not going to give me a few weeks to plan ahead, then do it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stopped reading most of the room parent emails last fall - it was just stressing me out. Sorry, no, I can't just drop everything and show up at school in the middle of my workday every other week. And, no, I'm not running out shopping in the middle of the week for drinks, supplies, party treats, and art project supplies. Not going to happen. If you're not going to give me a few weeks to plan ahead, then do it yourself.

Why don't you just keep a couple boxes of juice pouches or goldfish baggies or whatever around the house somewhere as a "just in case" stash and send them in as needed. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stopped reading most of the room parent emails last fall - it was just stressing me out. Sorry, no, I can't just drop everything and show up at school in the middle of my workday every other week. And, no, I'm not running out shopping in the middle of the week for drinks, supplies, party treats, and art project supplies. Not going to happen. If you're not going to give me a few weeks to plan ahead, then do it yourself.

Why don't you offer to be the room parent so that you can send the request emails out more timely?

[Anonymous]

Why is it irritating?

They are asking if anyone is available. Either you are or you aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but are these parent volunteers putting out the call or school administrators? If the call is coming from parent volunteers, then you should probably only criticize them if you are willing to do their volunteer job yourself.

OP here...it was a teacher asking for the volunteers. They ended up having enough help.

As for your snide comment, PP, I spent YEARS organizing volunteers and events for my kids schools. I have a right to my opinion, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks. Spew your venom somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Room parent here. I do a list for all events in the beginning of the year. I contact signed up parents a few days before event as if I do the week before..parents forget to show up and or bring the food they said they would and if i send an email a week before and then a day before, I get nastiness about too many emails. FYI room parent is a thankless job. If I didn't love kids so much I wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stopped reading most of the room parent emails last fall - it was just stressing me out. Sorry, no, I can't just drop everything and show up at school in the middle of my workday every other week. And, no, I'm not running out shopping in the middle of the week for drinks, supplies, party treats, and art project supplies. Not going to happen. If you're not going to give me a few weeks to plan ahead, then do it yourself.

Why don't you offer to be the room parent so that you can send the request emails out more timely?

This!
As a room parent myself I find you annoying. Most room parents get the info from the teachers and then send out the emails asap. So it isn't the room parent's fault you haven't been given "weeks to plan ahead", as you say. Who needs weeks to plan ahead to get drinks, party treats etc anyway? All it takes is one lousy trip to the store! Strange and very self-centered way of thinking. I wouldn't want you to be around volunteering anyway. You sound so obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Room parent here. I do a list for all events in the beginning of the year. I contact signed up parents a few days before event as if I do the week before..parents forget to show up and or bring the food they said they would and if i send an email a week before and then a day before, I get nastiness about too many emails. FYI room parent is a thankless job. If I didn't love kids so much I wouldn't do it.

I think this all depends on the school/class. I have been a room parent for two classes one was bit like this and the teacher was terrible at communicating, frankly organizing anything, and it all rolled down hill as they say. In the class this year, I get timely information and I pass it a long and in most cases people have notice they need.