When it comes to figuring out how to get started as a volunteer, the first thing to do is think about what you’re good at. Shenaya Tarapore did exactly that.
As a 2005 graduate of UC Berkeley‘s School of Architecture, Tarapore knows how to plan and construct a building. Her professional organization encouraged her to volunteer her skills in the community. She loved the work so much that she’s continued to serve on architectural projects in the Bay Area ever since.
Tarapore is an outstanding example of volunteering outside of the box. She recently took the time to share with Tonic how she’s using her expert structural and planning skills to volunteer her time where it’s most needed.
Tonic: Tell us about your experience volunteering as an architect.
ST: I’ve volunteered with numerous organizations in the Bay Area, mostly with Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together Oakland. Since I’m in architecture, construction projects are a great adjunct skill set.
With RTO, I started out as a tour guide of Oakland lofts as part of a fund-raising effort, and became more involved with office support and coordinating other volunteers on project days. I’ve also done my share of building papering, caulking and painting. It’s a fun way to learn about a building, and I always leave feeling that I’ve done something constructive.
Tonic: What inspired you initially volunteer your time?
ST: I wish I could say it was purely altruistic, but our professional organization actually requires volunteer hours from its members. I needed to accrue my hours, and an organization contacted my office in need of volunteers. From then on, I liked the organizers and the projects, so I kept going back.
Tonic: Was there one moment you experienced during your time as a volunteer that forever changed you?
ST: I’m really interested in historic architecture and seismic design, so when a volunteering gig took me into a condemned railway station in Oakland, I was thrilled. It was a beautiful old building (it’s even been a movie set) and still bore signs of what a bustling terminus it once was. Now it’s just a monument to how times have changed, and I wish it could be rehabilitated, but no one seems interested in retrofitting it. I’m really fond of that building, and glad I had the opportunity to see it from the inside.
There was also another memorable project where we painted the entire exterior of a charter school near Oakland Airport. As part of the day’s activities, we heard a bit about the school, the curriculum and the students they serve. The building may have been old, but the school had such a useful curriculum, and gave some great opportunities to kids from tough neighborhoods. That day gave me a better appreciation for charter schools.
Tonic: What advice do you have for aspiring volunteers?
ST: It’s really easy to volunteer because there are so many great organizations out there. Volunteering helped me to choose something in which I had some knowledge and lots of interest. Also, I believed in the goals of the organizations, and the projects they were pursuing. Once the organizers knew me, they’d work with my schedule. When I was no longer free on Saturday mornings, I could stuff envelopes on weeknights! I think many organizations are willing to accommodate if you communicate your skill set.
Tonic: If you had endless funds and time to dedicate to saving the world, where would you begin?
ST: I think I’d probably focus on water supply and sanitation. Architects and engineers write about this a lot. The systems we have need to be maintained and upgraded, and regions of the world without such infrastructure would benefit from better resource planning. Water affects so many ills, from territory disputes to infant mortality. I feel like water has been taken for granted, and we need to assess its management domestically and its distribution in less developed areas. Then I’d move on to education of women and girls, because hopefully their lives would be more stable once irrigation, flooding and drinking water are in balance.
Photo courtesy of Shenaya Tarapore.