A Birthday Tradition: Volunteering #NYCWFF
If you’re a food network lover like me, you know exactly what #NYCWFF is. If not, let me inform you!! NYCWFF is NYC’s biggest & best food and wine festival filled with legendary chefs, parties, seminars, and so much more. For the past 4 years (& counting), I spend the entire weekend before my birthday working NYCWFF.
Fun fact:
When I 1st found out about the festival In 2014 it fell on my birthday weekend…I thought to myself, food + drinks + my fav city?! Oh I’m in there! After doing further research I was humbly reminded that I was a broke college student & couldn’t afford this luxurious event. But did that stop me? NOPE! I happened to run across the volunteer page & the rest was history.
You’re probably wondering who wants to spend their birthday volunteering? Welp. I do. Here’s why:
- Food Network & Cooking channel = amazing food & drinks (usually unlimited too, but no drinking while you volunteer!) Most events you work will more than likely allow you to sample the food, which is a great perk because of course food network & cooking channel have nothing but the best— it’s also a great time to try something you usually wouldn’t!
- Food Network, Cooking Channel, and a host of other sponsors make sure 100% of the proceeds benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank For New York City. They’ve raised millions so far—if that doesn’t make you want to volunteer than I don’t know what will.
- The festival literally isn’t possible without volunteers. Over 2k volunteers dedicate their time each & every year!
- I’ve always had an interest in event planning. Volunteering for NYCWFF allows me to get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to make it a success every year– from logistics, to knowing what to do when a crisis happens, I’m able to learn and apply these skills to my marketing career. (If you don’t have event planning experience thats okay too!)
- You get to meet and work with a lot of amazing people from all over the US, its definitely a great networking opportunity. I always have my business cards on deck because you just never know who you’ll run into. *Bonus* you might even meet your favorite chef….I LOVE YOU BOBBY!
- *Best perk* getting a free ticket to an event! This is for leads only BUT such a gracious way of thanking leads for taking the time to volunteer, I usually always pick the big rooftop event as my event and its ALWAYS a good time!
Soooo..have I convinced you yet? Feel free to email me if you have any questions or want to volunteer with me next year!
Reginald Anthony Jones
I will be honored let me know what steps I need to take by the way I enjoyed your testimony about how you got start may the Lord continued to enrich you !