Sarah A. writesCHIRP Radio Volunteers Director Sarah Avampato on What Makes a “Typical” CHIRP Volunteer

August 2009.  I am at a party in Ukrainian Village. I only know one person, the girl hosting the party, so I’m forced to make friends.  It’s surprisingly easy, though, because these are the sorts of people I’d been longing to find ever since I moved to Chicago in 2006: artists, writers, musicians. People who make and do and create. There's a handful of starving artists, to be sure, but I'm also surrounded by people with “real grown-up jobs” who still make time for their passions.

At this party, I met a guy with a pin on his jacket: a white bird in a red circle.  He was very excited to tell people what the bird was about.  The pin, of course, was for CHIRP Radio, and the guy was a volunteer there.  I’d heard a little bit about CHIRP around the city, but I’d yet to take the plunge into volunteering.  That dude with the pin was pretty convincing, though, and not long after, I signed up to volunteer with CHIRP.

That dude with the pin was CHIRP DJ extraordinaire Bobby Evers, and almost exactly two years after that party, I sat down with him in the studio as he taught me how to be a DJ so that I can entertain your ears with French rap and bluegrass covers of Katy Perry songs on a regular basis.

Volunteers are the driving force behind CHIRP, and as a member of the Volunteer team, I am pleased to welcome all of our new faces as we bring volunteers on board.  While I wear many different hats at CHIRP, working with all of our volunteers is a constant joy.  People who support CHIRP come from all walks of life, from college students to thirty-something cat wranglers to parents and grandparents. Some of us love techno, some of us love metal, and some of us could program a six-hour block solely of old-timey banjo music. We are lawyers, teachers, designers, baristas.  We are underemployed or overworked or actually pretty content in our lives, thank you very much.

What I mean to say is this: there is no “one type” of CHIRP volunteer. What brings us all together is a deeply rooted passion for music, and for sharing that passion with anyone who will listen.  CHIRP would not be possible without its 250+ volunteers.  It’s not always glamorous work, either.  We stuff envelopes and fold t-shirts and cart heavy equipment across town. We organize supply closets and shout at Excel spreadsheets and get lots of paper cuts.  We do these things because we love and believe in CHIRP and its mission to support local music, arts, and culture.

CHIRP would also not be possible without its listeners and supporters. I am grateful every day for everyone who has given money, time, or attention to help us (literally) build our station.  Thank you for being a part of our community!

Support CHIRP’s amazing and tremendously dedicated group of volunteer superstars with a donation today!  Your contributions help in keeping both CHIRP and our volunteer community strong!