2010 Annual Report

Volunteers Help MDAH Serve Public

Over the last couple of years the department’s volunteer program has flourished. We now have hundreds of volunteers serving MDAH sites throughout the state, contributing thousands of hours to this department. Volunteers give tours at the Eudora Welty House, assist patrons in the reading rooms at the Archives, process collections, and work with the public at special events from the Old Capitol to Grand Village to Historic Jefferson College.

Our most intensive volunteer effort this past year was the mound-clearing project undertaken by a ten-member AmeriCorps team at Winterville Mounds from January 13 through February 5, 2010. The group cleared four mounds and planted wildflowers and native grass. They also organized the laboratory, labeled artifacts, reworked the museum legend, and produced a DVD about the site. The AmeriCorps members also made their mark in the community by volunteering for an after-school program, clearing an old cemetery, and helping lay the foundation for a Habitat for Humanity home.

The department’s volunteer services office offers no-cost workshops to volunteers to show our appreciation and to provide continuing education. The MDAH Volunteer Newsletter, which is produced in-house and emailed to the volunteers and staff, has proven to be an excellent and inexpensive way to connect the paid and unpaid staff and further solidify the successful partnership that MDAH has with the community. We are deeply grateful to our volunteers for their service to the department and the state.

Next