By Jana Wennstrom, ACM Volunteer Coordinator
Today begins National Volunteer Week! Established by the Points of Light Foundation in 1974, it was created to recognize and thank volunteers giving back to their communities. National Volunteer Week also lines up with our biggest celebration of ACM’s many volunteers – affectionately dubbed the “Appreciation Shindig.” Coming up on Tuesday, volunteers and ACM staff alike will join together for a meal while recognizing volunteers with awards and a raffle dash featuring over $4300 in donated prizes! The “Shindig” is a great chance for staff members to celebrate those volunteers who have made a big impact over the past year by recognizing their hard work and presenting a certificate of appreciation with a small token of thanks.
The 2016 Volunteer of the Year, Curt Petersen, says this about receiving his award; “Being named the volunteer of the year was a great honor and a source of pride for my family and me. The award inspired me to continue the same level of involvement in the museum and its activities. My wife refers to ACM as “my happy place.” And this is SO true!”
Also during National Volunteer Week, over 70 museum and cultural organizations in the Puget Sound and Oregon regions have coordinated reciprocal admission programs for any volunteers from those participating organizations. This is a great way for the Volunteer Coordinators to work together to give an added perk to volunteering without making a dent in the budget. Last year, there were over 375 volunteers who participated in reciprocal admission in the Puget Sound region alone and some look forward to this event every year. ACM Volunteer Martha Swift has this to say; “I have taken advantage of this opportunity twice in the past couple of years. I visited both Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood WA and MOHAI in Seattle. I’m looking forward to visiting a different museum this year. Thanks for sending the list of all the wonderful choices!”
If you are at the Museum, you can view a slideshow featuring ACM’s volunteers on the 3rd floor near the Administrative Offices. This is a fun way to get to see the variety of people who to like to give their time to this organization. They are interesting individuals with big hearts and, of course, a keen interest in automobiles! When asked what he liked about volunteering, Tom Kassens said, “ACM is one of the best places for a gear-head to hang out.” Now you too can “recognize” our volunteers when you visit.
If you would like to take part in the fun and volunteer, click here to learn how you can get involved!