I volunteer at the Old Colorado City Library and the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center.
What do you do there and/or what are you responsible for?
I sort, find and shelve books at the library. At the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center, I work the information desk, lead nature walks, and give a nature talk about bison. I also help organize the Magpie Players. We present an historical play of famous people of the Pikes Peak area once a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I play the part of Katherine Lee Bates.
How long have you been doing this kind of work (total)? How long on the Westside?
I’ve been a volunteer for 10 years. Eight here on the Westside.
What do you like best about it (other than quitting time)?
At the library – the people and the books. At the Garden of the Gods Park – the people, the outdoors and learning new things.
If you could change one thing (other than pay), what would it be?
I’d be outdoors more.
What part of your work did your training/education never prepare you for?
A memorable moment.. Volunteering is very unique to the USA. When I was at Garden of the Gods, a Scandinavian gentleman kept coming back and asking me about the park and what I did and then we talked about volunteering in general, which amazed him. It turns out he was an offcial with a national park. Everything is done by the government in his country and the taxes are very high. Volunteering is a wonderful way of staying involved with what is going on in our city.
What makes working on the Westside special?
People. I live here, so it’s close to home.
“What do you do?” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you know someone who has an interesting job on the Westside (but doesn’t live here), he/she might be a candidate for this column! If you know someone who might qualify, give us a call at 471-6776.
