Volunteer Spotlight: Ames Neumann

By Maddie Gudenkauf 

Originally written for Issue 18 of the W.A.N.D. in 2019

Do you love our Fandom Forward toolkits that connect real-life issues to your favorite fandoms and make activism more accessible to your community? What about our Fandom Forward Medium articles that educate the public on social issues that appear in today’s pop culture? Well, you can thank Ames Neumann, our Resources Editor-in-Chief, for the magic behind creating and managing all of these excellent sources! In addition to content creation and team management, Ames also directs the overall writing, editing, and style for everything related to resources. Amazingly enough, they do this all without the help of a Time-Turner. 

“My favorite thing about volunteering with [Fandom Forward] is being part of a community of people who care so enthusiastically and consistently,” Ames said. “So many of the issues [Fandom Forward] focuses on—LGBTQ  equality, racial equality, gender equity—aren’t things that can be changed without institutional and cultural change. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but knowing that I’m part of this community helps me focus my energy and stay involved. I also love that a lot of [Fandom Forward] volunteer and staff members are queer. [Fandom Forward] is such a queer normative space, which warms my heart.”

Ames joined Fandom Forward (at the time, The Harry Potter Alliance) as the Fandom Forward Project Leader a month after graduating college in 2016. They say they had been following Fandom Forward online for years, but until that point they “never felt like [they] had the time or skills to be a part of it.” Graduating from college was the perfect motivation for Ames to join the organization as a volunteer and they immediately found that their years of experience writing essays on pop culture and feminism for their Women’s Studies and English degrees made them a perfect fit for the organization that they loved. They operated as the Fandom Forward Project Leader from 2016 until mid-2018 when the Fandom Forward and Resource Development teams merged, and Ames was named Resources Editor-in-Chief. They have also worked the HPA’s merch table at conferences and events such as ALA and local Wizard Wrock the Vote shows, and has presented at the Granger Leadership Academy for three years running. At this year’s GLA conference in Philadelphia, Ames’s contributions include a breakout session entitled “The Personal Is Political” and the zine-making station at the Granger/Lovegood 2020 Creative Round Tables.

“Like a lot of [Fandom Forward] volunteers, I try to be involved in as many [Fandom Forward] projects as I can,” Ames said. “They’re all so cool!” 

Outside of Fandom Forward, Ames’s Muggle job is as a full-time Fundraising and Communications Assistant at Amani Family Services, a local nonprofit that provides social services to immigrants, refugees, and non-English speaking people in their county. They also operate as the social media manager for Uplift, a non-profit formed to combat sexual abuse, emotional manipulation, and other forms of violence in online communities. They were introduced to Uplift through their work with Fandom Forward: “There is a major overlap between the Uplift staff and volunteers and [Fandom Forward] staff and volunteers,” Ames said. “Uplift, [Fandom Forward], This Star Won’t Go Out, and She’s the First are all closely linked organizations. We’re all passionate about making fan communities safer and more inclusive. We support each other as organizations and as individuals. It’s so wonderful to be part of communities and organizations that center around support and respect.”

With all of these highly ambitious roles in Fandom Forward and our sister organizations, it’s no wonder this Hufflepuff admits that they might have some “some strong Slytherin characteristics.” Even during their down time, Ames watches a lot of TV that contributes to their Fandom Forward pieces and content management. They also enjoy reading feminist sci-fi and fantasy, and is currently re-reading The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce. Ames also spends quite a bit of time with their beautiful cats, Juniper, Lars, and Bella. “And I never say no to stopping to pet, and probably feed, cats I see outside,” Ames added. 

Whether they’re taking care of outside cats or celebrating how Crazy Ex Girlfriend positively represents reproductive justice in their Medium articles, Ames can be trusted to provide the empathetic heart and Time-Turner-defying effort to encourage social activism that can change the world. It is through the dedication and support of volunteers like them that Fandom Forward continues to thrive. 

“Volunteering for [Fandom Forward] is so fun and fulfilling!” Ames said. “Everyone is so kind and committed to making the world a better place.”