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VBS Hazard Pay

Much to the chagrin of janitors, vacation Bible school is in full swing. They will have red punch spills and out-of-control craft projects to clean up. With that in mind, I wrote and drew this VBS hazard pay cartoon.

Vacation Bible School Hazard Pay cartoon: A woman says, "I realize VBS can be rough. But we can't afford hazard pay."

Janitors are the unsung heroes of vacation Bible school. Instead of the normal maintenance and cleanups, they are used to, they experience a full week of challenges.

  • Crafts require full use of glue and glitter
  • Snacks will have the messiest ingredients known to the world
  • One kid will inevitably get sick from all the excitement
  • And then there is the VBS theme that involves incontinent animals

VBS Cleaning Travails

Many programs are restarting since COVID-19 threw a monkey wrench into everything. Odds are, the current VBS director is either new or is out of practice after two years. That means there are much more potential unexpected messes.

I have participated in many VBS programs. Each time, I noticed the tireless efforts of the cleaning staff. They make the place inviting day after day for a full week while kids and volunteers go about their adventures. It is not easy work!

I wonder why red punch became the drink of choice for VBS programs? It’s the one drink that can stain any carpet or hard surface for generations to come. I imagine if I go back to the church where I grew up, I can find the red punch stain I carelessly caused in fourth grade. I’m pretty sure it fascinated me because it looked like the profile of President Nixon.

So whether you are directing, teaching, or the parent of a VBS participant, if you see a janitor, give them some encouragement. Maybe the church can’t afford VBS hazard pay, but at least we can let them know we appreciate their longsuffering efforts.

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

By Kevin Spear

I am a content creator and storyteller based in Florida, where I work for OneHope. I love digital and content marketing, writing, and the occasional doodle.