Volunteering at The Princess Shop- From the Perspective of The Princess Shop's Fundraising Coordinator
I joined The Princess Shop in August of 2012 as a
Volunteer Representative. I had started to feel restless in my office job and thought that finding something to feed my soul would help. When I began to think of my passions and what would work best for me, I thought of The Princess Shop and to my pleasant surprise, they were engaging new volunteers! I immediately did everything I could to draw attention to myself, which included calling, emailing and dropping by the shop. It might have been overkill, but I got the role as Volunteer Representative and I was thrilled.
When I started volunteering, I was stressed out however, The Princess Shop became my retreat. I was able to escape all of this weight and be my normal carefree self with smart, funny, amazing women all while doing something to impact my community and this wonderful city. On more than one occasion, I would leave work on Thursday and almost be in tears, wondering if I could be able to make it to a meeting at The Princess Shop without bursting out crying but would find myself smiling and laughing as soon as I walked in the door. When I was in that room filled with so many beautiful dresses and insanely amazing women, I felt strong and valuable and my fellow volunteers really listened when I spoke. It was wonderful to feel like such an indispensable member of a team.
I offered to take on the role of
Fundraising Coordinator around the time of my first
Glass Slipper. My first fundraiser was with Pure Frozen Yogurt, and it was wonderful. The staff at Pure were so great to work with! They made special treats, put the colour pink everywhere and even dressed up! It was the perfect fundraiser to start off my new role Some other highlights include the Trivia Night at Amigo's put together by friends Andy and Mark, the Christmas fundraiser put on by Mane Productions and Fresh Living, and the Bachelor Canada event put together by one of The Princess Shop's creators, Chantal Hounjet! Every time this community offers The Princess Shop their time and money, I'm so incredibly humbled.
Early in 2014, I gave birth to my daughter, Evey. Everyone at the shop was so accommodating to my new and often unknown schedule and have been extremely welcome to our new The Princess Shop member! Now with Evey nearing her first birthday, I'm only getting busier and am having trouble finding the time to fit in the hours that The Princess Shop and our Princess Graduates truly deserve. I knew I was not ready to say goodbye to The Princess Shop yet, but I knew I couldn't keep trying to make my Fundraiser Coordinator role work. So after just a few months in this role, I'll be returning to Volunteer Representative.
I'm excited to pass the torch! In my opinion, fundraising is one of the most enjoyable jobs at The Princess Shop and I'm eager to see who will take it on.
xoxo
Whitney