Much to the chagrin of janitors, vacation Bible school is in full swing. They will have red punch spills and out-of-control craft projects to clean up. With that in mind, I wrote and drew this VBS hazard pay cartoon.
Janitors are the unsung heroes of vacation Bible school. Instead of the normal maintenance and cleanups, they are used to, they experience a full week of challenges.
- Crafts require full use of glue and glitter
- Snacks will have the messiest ingredients known to the world
- One kid will inevitably get sick from all the excitement
- And then there is the VBS theme that involves incontinent animals
VBS Cleaning Travails
Many programs are restarting since COVID-19 threw a monkey wrench into everything. Odds are, the current VBS director is either new or is out of practice after two years. That means there are much more potential unexpected messes.
I have participated in many VBS programs. Each time, I noticed the tireless efforts of the cleaning staff. They make the place inviting day after day for a full week while kids and volunteers go about their adventures. It is not easy work!
I wonder why red punch became the drink of choice for VBS programs? It’s the one drink that can stain any carpet or hard surface for generations to come. I imagine if I go back to the church where I grew up, I can find the red punch stain I carelessly caused in fourth grade. I’m pretty sure it fascinated me because it looked like the profile of President Nixon.
So whether you are directing, teaching, or the parent of a VBS participant, if you see a janitor, give them some encouragement. Maybe the church can’t afford VBS hazard pay, but at least we can let them know we appreciate their longsuffering efforts.
I drew this cartoon for the July 2013 CHOGNews.
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