Sometimes, volunteer workers encounter disgusting situations. I thought about what that would look like if a boy volunteer was hoping for such a situation, but he had no luck. That led to this gross volunteering cartoon.
This cartoon reminds me of two times I volunteered and encountered something gross.
Hoarder’s Paradise
The first event was at a house our church purchased. It was going to be a parsonage. But first, we had to clean out the place. The former owner was a hoarder. It took a couple of dumpsters to clean out the place.
I was in junior high. My dad spared me the worst of the project. Looking back, I’m not sure I was relieved about it or disappointed. I heard stories about old newspapers stacked to the ceiling, disturbed cockroaches, and disgruntled rats.
Volunteers had mostly cleared the house by the time I was involved. I kept wondering when I would encounter a critter. But I had no such luck.
However, I didn’t have to worry about having anything to do. The garage and the backyard had plenty of junk that needed to be cleared. It took a couple of weeks, another dumpster, a tetanus shot, and a lot of elbow grease to get the job done.
The trail to the Landfill
The second time was for an old railroad trail that was being converted into a bike path. I was participating in a volunteer day at my workplace. The location was in a well-to-do area. I was appalled at how much junk was a few yards away from nice homes.
Surprisingly, this place had been a dumping ground for some time. There were tires, car radiators, an old baby buggy, and an abandoned clothes dresser. Once again, I wavered between disappointment and relief when I finished the task without an incident.
When we work together to improve our communities, everyone benefits. Sure, we may have to clean up some messes. But if we don’t, who will? May this gross volunteering cartoon spur you on and give you a little comic relief for that disgusting mess that needs to be addressed.
I drew this cartoon for Kidzmatter Magazine.
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
