Last week, fellow VISTA Andrea and I hosted our area's Ohio Benefit Bank regional meeting.
It's a quarterly meeting attended by OBB site administrators and counselors from across Lucas County as well as by agencies interested in becoming OBB sites or learning more about OBB. It's a time to network and be updated on new happenings.
Our regional coordinator would be facilitating the meeting, but Andrea and I were charged with setting a date, finding a venue, inviting people, following up with RSVPs, arranging some of the speakers, and getting door prizes and snacks. Basically doing everything necessary for her to just show up and talk.
Andrea took the biggest weight off my back right away because her agency, located in a huge, old church, let us use their building and so we had a date and venue immediately.
Like most things I do, this came together last minute, but it all worked out. Only a week before, we had about 5 RSVPs, no door prizes and no speakers besides the ones our supervisor already set up.
By the day of, we'd gotten 35 RSVPs, a donation of bags from a local health plan agency, a confirmation from a critical speaker, and I was able to sweet-smile my way into three very generous gift certificates from three area businesses to use as door prizes. Score.
We had 29 people show and speakers from Lucas County Department of Job and Family Services, Treasurer of State's office, Secretary of State's office, Go Direct (company for direct deposit of federal benefits checks), and updates on the upcoming tax season from the RC.
Event planning can be stressful but it's also a great high. I actually really like it. At least when people show up and things go smoothly.
Even when a conference call from Chicago is done via a sole tinny cell phone held aloft by the RC. (Pictured here looking like her dog just died.)
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