We did create a volunteer force as part of the ATA/American Red Cross Partnership, which was very active until after Katrina. The Partnership was an Interpreters Division project supported by Scott Brennan, actually. Some of the volunteers -members of the National Chapter, in DC- helped man the ARC Call Center in Falls Church, Va, during Hurricane Katrina. It was with sadness that I saw no support and the project die.

The other volunteer project was the Interpreting Booklet. Another ID project, developed by volunteers from 2005-2008 when it was submitted for “production.” Again, the volunteers were not even thanked, let alone recognized. At least they are now mentioned on the ATA website, but the effort Scott Brennan and Marian Greenfield put forth to make sure the membership was involved in the Association through volunteering projects that involved also their communities, thus creating more visibility for the profession, has been largely ignored.

I hope the Association is mature enough now to take this initiative forward, not only within ATA (as with the Interpreting Booklet published as “Interpreting Getting it Right”), but also outward towards our communities (as with the ATA/ARC Partnership).

Giovanna Lester, CT
ATIF President, 2011-2012; 2015
ID Administrator 2006-2007
ID Assistant Administrator, 2004-2005
FLATA President 2001-2003