Vendor for a Day Program
“Thank you so much for welcoming my teens and me into your Street Sense family yesterday. My 19 volunteers all had meaningful experiences, and we had a great morning/afternoon with Reggie.” – Rachel Hillman, DC BBYO
Give your students a hands-on learning experience about homelessness by participating in Street Sense’s Vendor For A Day (VFAD) Program!
One big family: students pose with vendors after the VFAD program
Street Sense is currently revamping our Vendor for a Day program. Over the last year, we have engaged in several rounds of evaluations of the program. While the program has received much positive feedback, we believe we can create an experience that more completely furthers the mission of the organization while providing positive impact and lasting memories for participants.
We have not finalized the details for the new and improved 2013 program. However, we would like to make sure everyone who has expressed interest in the program is aware of one major change happening in 2013.
We will no longer be sending participants out on the streets to work with our vendors.
Street Sense is aware this feature was one of the more memorable parts of the program. However, we feel the lessons learned from this experience can be effectively taught through other means which are more consistent and reliable.
Many groups have shared our frustration in the last year when extreme heat and freak storms have forced us to cancel programming. At other times, groups have had challenging negative experiences with customers and vendors that were more related to customer service than they are to the experiences of people living in homelessness and poverty.
The program for 2013 will be designed to eliminate some of the uncertainty in the old program. We would like to keep as many of the strong points of the old program as possible. When we have finalized the new program, we will announce the details. We hope many of our past participants will be willing to try the new experience.
We sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience as we make these changes. We know that many groups are setting their schedules for the next year and would like to confirm the sites they will be visiting while they are in the D.C. area. Street Sense is still willing to book groups for 2013 and welcomes all inquiries. But, we must let everyone know before they book that the program will be developing throughout 2013 and will not be exactly the same as it has been in years past.
We would also like to remind everyone that, as of September 1,2012, Street Sense has implemented fees for the program. These fees will remain the same in 2013. To book the program, Street Sense requires payment of a $50 registration fee prior to reserving space and confirming the reservation. Prior to the start of the program, Street Sense requires payment of a $10/participant program fee.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Brandon Caudill at (202) 347-2006 ext. 14 or brandon@streetsense.org.
