Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer on the Sustainability team during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I was an Eco Educator at the United Center during the DNC for two nights, and volunteering at the 2024 DNC was a memorable experience.
I am grateful for the opportunity, especially given how coveted the volunteering shifts were. According to an email I received from the 2024 Democratic National Convention Volunteer Team, more than 30,000 people signed up to volunteer at the DNC, with not as many shifts available. I submitted my application in July and heard back in early August that more shifts would become available.
The signup process was a bit cumbersome as many volunteers logged on at the same time to sign up for shifts. I received an email about the shifts being added around 7:46 p.m. and was finally able to sign up at 9:05 p.m. During that time, the signup portal kept freezing, and I worried I wouldn’t be able to get a spot. Ultimately, I was relieved and thrilled to be able to find Eco Educator shifts in the United Center for three nights. (I later had to drop a night because it was my daughters’ first day of school.)
Upon signup, the DNC team then conducted background checks and we were told we would be notified if for some reason we did not pass. I didn’t hear anything back about mine, meaning I passed.
Volunteers who were lucky enough to get a shift were also invited to a volunteer appreciation party at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15. We were treated with food (hot dogs/veggie dogs, cookies, chips and water or Coke products), music, T-shirts and volunteer badges, and the ability to walk around the baseball field’s warning track. Photo opps were set up around the ballpark, too.
The sustainability team had training sessions the week before the DNC to prepare us for our roles. Eco Educators needed to know which materials were compostable, recyclable, and landfill waste. Our goal was to divert as much waste as possible from landfills. Rood Rescue volunteers were tasked with saving leftover food and sending it over to Chicago organizations.
Spoiler alert: We diverted 93,886 pounds of carbon dioxide from landfills and saved 5.3 million gallons of water. Food Rescue volunteers donated 26,746 pounds of leftover meals! Source: Chicago Sun-Times and our volunteer coordinators
As far as the actual role, it was simple: Divert as much waste as possible from the trash bins. If a person was throwing something away, I would politely ask if I could take it, and then sort the items in the proper bins. We wore gloves and, if needed, would grab a plastic bottle or something thrown in the wrong bin and move it to the correct bin. It sometimes required pushing down the compost bin contents to make more space, as pickups were limited. If anyone asked for help, we would let them know where to place each item.
The shift required the ability to stand from at least 2 p.m. until about 11 p.m., although we also had to wait in line to check in starting at 12:30 p.m. Needless to say, my legs were exhausted by the evening.
When I arrived for my first shift on the first day of the convention, we learned that only a limited number of arena badges were available, so the beginning of my shift was on the perimeter (outside of the arena). This news was initially disappointing because the role description did not specify that some of us would be outside. We made the best of it, walking around to see what needed to be done in terms of trash diversion. At one point we were able to switch to inside, which was much better.
It’s not usual to spot journalists, lawmakers, activists, and content creators, among other famous faces. I spotted Lester Holt, Don Lemon, and many politicians.
On Monday, Kamala Harris was a surprise speaker. People in the concourses ran to their seats when everyone realized she was on stage.
On Thursday, I was able to leave my station when Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for president and listened to the speech from the aisle of one of the upper sections. It was surreal and exciting to be part of history. I will never forget this night.
Rumors swirled about surprise guests that night, from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift to George Bush, but perhaps the real surprise guest was the friends and memories we made along the way.
Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.