Every April we join in the celebration of National Volunteer Month. While we strive to make our volunteers feel appreciated each and every day, April is an important time to slow down and reflect on their countless contributions. The past few years have presented many unique challenges. With the Museum’s closure during the pandemic, beloved volunteers no longer came in for their weekly shifts. Traditions such as the monthly meetings, field trips, and the holiday potluck came to a halt. As the Museum reopened and returned to a new normal, engaging with our volunteers was one of the things we were most looking forward to! Their passion, excitement, and willingness to share their talents is a driving force for the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. We want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU!
ADAPT
Whether it was projecting their voices while wearing masks behind plexiglass dividers, helping us to clean surfaces, or even attending trainings through Zoom or outside, our volunteers adapted.
PERSIST
No matter what challenges we faced, our volunteers persisted. In 2021 alone, 78 individuals contributed 4,391 hours of service. Volunteers served at the front desk and in the museum store. They led education programs and worked on collection projects. We’re also grateful for the service of board and committee members.
ENGAGE
The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is a place to engage – with exhibits, with program activities, with each other. In their many roles, the volunteers make this meaningful engagement possible each and every day.
Front Desk Volunteers hold their annual training outside.
Collections Volunteer, Shirley, is dedicated to a transcription project that is now three years in the making.
Susan takes a group on a tour through the Any Place that is North and West exhibit.
VOLUNTEER SNAPSHOT
Bob became a volunteer in October 2021. Front Desk Volunteers like Bob create a warm and welcoming environment for our guests. We constantly hear how much visitors appreciate our front desk volunteers’ smiles and eagerness to help. Thank you to our wonderful Front Desk Volunteers!
We rely on a skilled team of School Program Volunteers to lead our field trips for visiting 2nd-5th grade students. These past two years we have experienced a volunteer shortage and have asked a lot of our small team of educators. Mandy began volunteering in early 2022 and has been a wonderful addition to the team. Thank you to all of our Museum Education Volunteers!
Part of the experience of visiting a museum or cultural site is a stop into the store. Our Museum Store Volunteers like Jane, who has volunteered since 2019, help with daily operations. Like the Front Desk, the Store provides excellent customer service. Thank you to our Museum Store Volunteers!
Faith, who started in early 2022, is a local college student who volunteers in the Museum Archives. Collections Volunteers help our staff in a variety of tasks that support our work to preserve and share our collection. Thank you to our Collections Volunteers!
