April Volunteer Spotlight: Clyde Hoover

    What motivates you to volunteer?I find that being of service is essential to my well being. I like the challenges that come my way and the personal growth that comes with them.

Why ACR?

I heard about ACR from a friend who is familiar with my artistic endeavors. She said that I would really like ACR and that puts it mildly. Going to the bucket room was like entering a toy store with the weirdest variety of stuff than I had even seen in one place. So I pretty much fell head over Converse high-topped heels for ACR.

 

Are you more into the arts aspect of ACR or the conservation aspect and why?

I am not a "soft arts"" type - I work with plastic, metal and wood. I have been involved with photography since I was a child - bitten by my mothers habit of taking pictures of her large family (11 siblings and uncounted nieces and nephews). I studied photojournalism for two years during my time at The University of Texas at Austin. I still love photography, and that passion has been rekindled because of ACR.

I have strongly believed in conservation for a long time (I was around for the first Earth Day, back when people could still be moved by the "this is all we have" photos of Earth taken by astronauts on the way to the Moon). My childhood experience with poverty and my Great Depression-era parents' ethos of "use it up, wear it out, squeeze every drop out of it, and keep it just in case you might need it later" taught me that things do not lose their usefulness just because someone is tired of or grown out of it.

Where else have you/do you volunteer?

I am currently the webmaster for a local recovery organization, putting my technical skills to use in order to help others.

My wife and I (and our daughter, until she "teenaged" out of it) volunteer at Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary, (which we can blame for most of the various feline inhabitants of our house). Scooping a room full of litter boxes then seeing cats lining up to undo what you just did is a lesson in not taking yourself too seriously.

We specialize in fostering stubborn semi-feral cats into snuggle-bunnies. It's a lot of work but so worth it, as with any undertaking of value.

What do you enjoy the most out of volunteering for ACR?

There is the unbelievable diversity of what ends up on the donation cart. Along with the "usual" arts and crafts items (and office and fabric and patterns and light bulbs and power drills), there are some things I have not seen since childhood (that would be he 1960s for those of you scoring at home).

And I sometimes get the "first crack" at new stuff - getting a bit of something awesome on Tuesday night, and when I drop by on Wednesday afternoon, the rest is gone!

Above all it is the people of ACR. If I may dude-speak for a moment, "you gals are the best." All up and down he line. The people of ACR totally believe in its mission - I have noticed that for many who volunteer it is not a past-time but a passion. And by the way, the passion is contagious and that is awesome.

Do you have any interesting or funny stories about something that happened while you were volunteering at ACR?

Though there have been considerable happenings with humorous aspects, what sticks with me is what I have learned, especially after becoming a Core Volunteer and "The Camera Guy Who Can Also Probably Figure Out What This Strange Doohickey Is Supposed To Be For" (spoiler: I can most of the time).

I have been used to being one of the "smart guys" - (that should probably be my official job title), but volunteering at ACR reminded me that I still have a lot to learn. Standing in the craft isle wondering where this fill-in-the-blank this bag of shiny things is supposed to go was an interesting experience in realizing how much I did not know. Talk about of being out of your experiential comfort zone!

I am grateful that my knowledge, experience and skills can be of service. I feel at home at ACR.

Thanks for all your hard work Clyde, we couldn't do it with out you!