Trial by Fire

My new employer was eager for me to start working as soon as possible because they were having their first telethon. I jumped in and learned as much as I could in five days, including teaching myself Salesforce and Greater Giving. On Thursday, I was at the TV station by 4 a.m. and had quite a bit of coffee to keep me going. The telethon officially ran until 11:30 p.m. but unlike my super-human boss, I went home in the middle of the day and had a 3-hour power nap.

The stage, ready to go!

Overall, it went well! We raised funds for the military crisis lines, raised awareness about our services, there were no issues, and we all survived. Everyone I met at the TV station was professional and passionate about helping veterans and their families. Every segment went smoothly and the pre-recorded interviews were well done.

In fact, it went so well that I don't have much to report! It was cool to see how TV works behind the scenes. It was exciting when they aired something live (with a delay, of course) because the phones would start ringing like crazy. We met with the producers yesterday and they said everything went perfectly on their end as well, which is amazing to hear after an event.

Behind the scenes view of an interview with Kent Studebaker,
former Navy SEAL and father-in-law of
"American Sniper" Chris Kyle

I had the next morning off and went back to the office to begin the follow up for the event. Many people at work described my first week as "trial by fire." I laugh it off and say that I like fire any way. Someone retorted that fire scars and I replied that scars are just reminders of experiences. I liked jumping right in and having so many things to do. I'm afraid that every week going forward will seem boring in comparison!

My crazy week didn't end there. I worked an eight hour shift at Target on Saturday then Brandt and I drove the three hours to Seattle to see one of my brothers and his wife. They were in town for a conference and I'd been looking forward to seeing them for months. I had very little sleep between Wednesday and Monday so I was grateful that Monday was a holiday. When we got back to Portland, I took another power nap and still went to bed at a normal time.

Next post will be about our adventures in Seattle!

I'm Employed!

I am finally employed full-time! I started my job at Lines for Life today as a Development Associate. I will help raise funds, plan events, maintain the donor database, and more. It is very similar to my previous work at Exploration Place.

So what exactly is this place that I'm working for? Lines for Life (formerly the Oregon Partnership) is a non-profit dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide. They have crisis lines for people to call in and they act as an advocate in the community/state. The advocacy includes lobbying and visiting schools. Their crisis lines receive approximately 35,000 calls per year. There are lines for substance abuse, suicide, military, and youth. Most of the people answering calls are highly trained volunteers and there are treatment  professionals helping as well. They are able to deescalate 98% of the 13,000 suicide calls they receive each year. Quite a great number!

One aspect I like is that people calling the youth and military lines can speak with peers. I know it can be reassuring and much easier to talk to someone who knows where you're coming from. Both of these lines aren't exclusively about substance abuse and suicide either. They are available for any issue these people may be having. The youth line also includes texting! You know how those kids are always texting... including me. Another aspect I like is that family and friends of people suffering from these issues are welcome to call and receive support.

I started my career in museums because I love learning. I wanted to help educate others and share my passion. I'm taking a new path with this position and helping the community. I've always wanted to make a difference with my life and in my career. I loved advocating science education (especially in young girls!!) and knowledge in general. Museums don't necessarily have a huge impact on individuals' lives,however, but Lines for Life does. I'll miss hearing crazy science facts or teaching kids about dinosaurs but I'm looking forward to this new direction and where it can take me.