Phil came into the Milton Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival with a lot of energy, and even 10 days after the event he was still clearly buzzing about the experience.
For Phil, the volunteering was very hands-on and practical, stepping into whatever was needed across the setup. One of his key contributions was during the road closure preparation, where his crane truck helped streamline the placement of water barriers. As he described it, “because it had the crane, it was down to 2 of us,” turning a job that would normally require a much larger crew into a quick, efficient task. He also supported putting together the off-stage flooring, contributing to the physical foundations that helped the festival run smoothly.
What stood out most for Phil wasn’t just the tasks themselves, but the atmosphere across the festival site. He reflected, “I just love the generosity, spirit of everyone who’s into it and really keen to help, and nothing was too hard.” Across the site there was a strong sense of shared purpose—people working together, supporting each other, and contributing to something bigger. As he put it, “the shared experience of people walking around, happy… music is playing… it’s so nice.”
Two weeks later, what stayed with him was the feeling of connection and community. “It was really great to share that… to donate your time just for the sake of wanting to give back to the community, and it was so rewarding.”
When asked about volunteering more broadly, Phil’s message was simple and direct: “Get involved. Definitely. Just share. It’s what makes life worth living… break out of the box and get involved.”
For Phil, volunteering isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about bringing whatever you can contribute, whether skills, time, or humour, and being part of something that creates connection, meaning, and shared experience for everyone involved.