The power of volunteering

Monday, May 10th, 2010 in Ideas, Stories

By Jen Kreiner

Volunteers are the heart of the organizations they serve. They give their valuable time and resources for a number of reasons, every one unique to the person they belong to. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with a broad spectrum of volunteers at the Children’s Museum, Missoula; University students looking for experience in the field of early childhood education, moms with young children who wanted a positive educational and social experience, foreign exchange students integrating themselves into a whole new culture, as well as, the many skilled painters, carpenters, and helping hands who have molded the face of the museum into what it is today.

One special group of volunteers that have always exceeded my expectations are our junior volunteers. This age group of 11-13 year olds, is so unique in their interactions with the young visitors. Perhaps their appeal is that they are viewed as the fun, older sibling who can play and teach simultaneously. They are always received by parents and kids with great enthusiasm as they just dive in to the exhibits (sometimes literally) digging for dino bones, putting on a puppet show or painting faces.

One particular person that was with us one summer was Austun, aka Junior Volunteer Extraordinaire. Austun visited us in the beginning of summer hoping to find an opportunity to volunteer. He was 12 going on 13 and looking forward to entering 8th grade in the fall. He told us that he was to old to attend the summer camp that he normally attended and too young to be a junior counselor. So, after talking with his mom and dad about his summer schedule, they suggested he spend his time as a volunteer. Austun joined the CMM team and spent his mornings at the Children’s Museum and his early afternoons with the Food Bank.

As a Museum Guide, his responsibilities included: playing with families, interacting and teaching about the exhibits and assisted with our summer camp, Passport to the World. His mom and dad came out to help during our summer fundraiser, Kiddopalooza, where Austun spent a few hours being dunked at the Dunk Tank. We received phenomenal feedback about him from visitors and staff during his volunteer ship. Volunteering gave him the chance to work with different kinds of people everyday. Austun told us that he really liked being a part of the weekly summer camps, where he was able to get to know the kids better. Now as he gets older, he is looks forward to be old enough to work at a paid job. He leaves advice for future junior volunteers, that even though he spent a lot of time volunteering, he still had the afternoons to help his mom out and hang out with his buddies…ahhh summertime! We are very grateful for the time that Austun spent making the visitors’ experience so much better. Thank you and good luck next year!

Families First, The Children’s Museum, Missoula was created by dedicated and passionate volunteers in our town who envisioned a place for families to learn, play and imagine together. The success of CMM today is largely in part to all of the people who wanted to give back to the community they live in. Volunteers still play a large role in the museum as program facilitators and daily helpers. Everyone has something special to give. Join us to make a difference and be a part of something wonderful. If you are interested in volunteering at the Children’s Museum, please visit our website for more information at www.FamiliesFirstMontana.org or contact us at 541-PLAY.

Jen Kreiner is the Marketing Manager for the Families First. She hs a BA in Fine Arts and a minor in Psychology from the University of Montana. She has resided in Missoula for 12 years and has an 10 year old son going into the 5th grade. Perhaps her son will be instilled with the value of volunteering and give back some day, too.