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The Value of Volunteering
By Kimberly M. Riel
More than 1000 volunteers donated their time and talent
to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh last year, helping the museums in
countless ways. Yet, it's the
volunteers who say they benefited the most.
“Volunteering at Carnegie Science Center is the most fun
I’ve ever had while working,” says education and summer camp volunteer
Julia Brooks, age 16. “We have so much fun teaching the kids that no one –
not even me – realizes we’re actually learning something.” Julia began
volunteering back in summer 2000 to earn community service hours for
school. She surpassed the hours she needed long ago, yet she continues to
volunteer.
“I keep going back because I have an interest in math
and science, and I love showing younger children that these subjects can be
fun,” she says. “It’s also helped me tremendously with my own schoolwork
and career planning. I’ve been able to apply a lot of the things I’ve
learned to my own classes, and I’m now considering a major in physics or
engineering when I get to college.”
To Give Is To Receive
Every day, volunteers make a difference at Carnegie
Museums of Pittsburgh, whether they interact directly with the public by providing
tours, teaching classes, and giving directions, or work behind the scenes
assisting with a research project, preparing promotional mailings, and
helping create exhibit materials. In many ways and in many different
departments, volunteers are always hard at work helping the museums
maintain and enhance their exhibitions, services, and programming. And
while each volunteer has a personal reason for becoming involved, most
agree on one thing: They remain committed to the museums because they
believe they receive more than they give.
When Diane McDowell was laid off from her job as a
hospital research assistant in 1998 she realized, “Life is too short to
spend it working day in and day out for someone else. I wanted to make time
for me and to explore some of my other interests.”
Diane began volunteering for Meals on Wheels and
realized she enjoyed giving something back to the elderly neighbors in her
community. With a growing interest in volunteerism and a long-time love of
Carnegie Museums, she completed an application in the Oakland Volunteer
Office. While collecting tickets for the Natural History Museum’s traveling
exhibit Ancestors on Earth, Diane
noticed the work being done in the museum's PaleoLab and decided to combine
her research background with her interest in the Earth and its development.
“I always wondered, ‘how did everything get here?’ and
all of a sudden, I had the opportunity to learn firsthand,” she says. “I’ve
been working in the lab ever since, and I love it. Not only have I learned
a lot about the Earth and how everything came to be where it is today, but
I’ve also met a lot of wonderful people. In exchange for just a few hours
of my time each week, I’ve received both an education and a whole new group
of friends.”
A Tremendous Asset
Like Diane, many people volunteer at Carnegie Museums to
meet new people with whom they share a common interest or to give something
back to the museums they’ve known and loved for years. Some, like Julia,
volunteer for the opportunity to share their enthusiasm for a particular
topic with others or to explore career opportunities. Others volunteer
simply to remain active and involved in their community. Whatever their
reason for volunteering, they all are dedicated to doing a good job.
“Our volunteers at are an extremely devoted group of
people,” says Marilyn Anderson, manager of Volunteer Services at Carnegie
Science Center. “The most amazing thing to me is that our volunteers could
be anywhere but they choose to spend their time here. Their enthusiasm for
the jobs they do comes through, enhances our visitors’ experiences, and
makes the museums much better places than they would be without them.”
At Carnegie Museum of Art, in addition to the Women's
Commitee that plans and conducts fund-raising and outreach activities such
as the Holiday Tree display and the Antiques Show, there are the 90
volunteers who make up the Docent Program. Rsvch volunteer is uniquely trained to help
visitors enjoy the museum. “Our volunteers take their jobs as seriously,
work as hard, and are as conscientious as people who are paid,” says
Marilyn Russell, curator of Education. “Without them, we would have to run
a very different program because we simply don’t have the staff or the
resources to provide as many tours as our docents currently do. They are a
tremendous asset, and it’s remarkable that we have such a large, talented
group of people who are so committed to the museum’s mission and the public
it serves.”
“Being a docent and representing the Museum of Art to
visitors is an awesome responsibility that we all take very seriously,”
says Dr. Eugene Ginchereau, an internist and Art Museum docent. “I’ve never
been part of a more dedicated, enthusiastic, hard-working group.”
Dr. Ginchereau began his docent training in 2000, and
has been actively leading tours for two years. “While training to be a
physician, I never had time to explore my interest in the arts, so when I
saw an ad in the paper for art docents I decided that was my opportunity,
and I’m very glad I made the commitment,” says Dr. Ginchereau. “The things
I’ve learned through our training and the experiences I’ve had leading
tours have enriched my life in many ways, including making me a better
doctor. Learning why artists created the works they did, and how to engage
visitors in a meaningful discussion about what they think of a particular
work of art, has made me much more
aware of the whole human condition.”
Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds also turn up at
The Andy Warhol Museum where they help with research, education, and
administrative tasks. Student and actress Marya Kiselova, age 17, has been
helping visitors create their own art at The Warhol’s Weekend Factory since
summer 2002.
“Andy Warhol is my favorite artist, and when I learned
that I could combine my love of Warhol’s work with my desire to give
something back to the people of Pittsburgh, I was thrilled,” says Marya. “I
enjoy sharing my love of Warhol with others and helping people create their
own works of art, but I often think I get much more out of the experience
than the visitors do. I’ve learned so much about Warhol’s methods and
techniques, and why he did things the way he did. But most of all, I’ve
learned about people—how to engage and communicate with them—and that’s
made me a better person and a better actress.”
Crucial Contributions
People from all walks of life and all corners of the
world volunteer at Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Maria Calais Pedro
recently arrived in Pittsburgh from Portugal. She and her husband came so
he could study at Carnegie Mellon University. While he attends classes,
Maria volunteers in the Corporate Communications office of Carnegie Museums
of Pittsburgh, where she’s building the first digital photo archive to be
shared by all four museums.
“I love art, and I’ve always wanted to work in a
museum,” says Maria. “By volunteering at Carnegie Museums, I get to
surround myself with beautiful works of art and know that I’m doing
something valuable with my time.”
"Valuable" is how Volunteer Managers Sheila
Savits and Elaine London describe all of the time donated by volunteers who
contribute to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh’s success. “The broad range of
skills and talents offered by our volunteers is remarkable," says
Sheila. "Without their help, projects that take a day or two would
take weeks or maybe never get done.”
“Without volunteers, the museums wouldn’t be able to
maintain programs like the Natural History Museum’s Discovery Room and the Museum
on the Move program, or the Science Center’s Annual SciTech Festival,”
explains Elaine. “Volunteers help us in so many different ways, it’s
impossible to imagine functioning without them. But what’s truly amazing is
that so many of our volunteers feel the same way about the museums. It’s a
wonderful win-win for us all.”
Volunteer Facts and Stats
The numbers listed below are from fiscal 2002 and are
for all four museums combined unless otherwise noted.
Year program
began: 1974
Total active
volunteers: 1,085
Total hours
donated: 115,851
Museum with the
most hours donated:
Carnegie Science Center with 59,643
Average value of
a volunteer’s time: $16.05/hour*
Value of total
hours donated: $1,859,408.55
Age of youngest
active volunteer: 14
Age of oldest
active volunteer: 87
Average age of
active volunteers: 30-something
Volunteer
benefits: Free admission to
all four museums, discounts for parking, classes, food services, travel
films, and gifts shop merchandise
Regularly-scheduled enrichment programs
Invitations to select previews, receptions, and special
events
An annual volunteer recognition reception
Valuable work experience
Special training
Letters of recommendation
*According to Independent Sector, a national coalition
of nonprofits, foundations, and corporations.
For information about volunteering at Carnegie Museum of
Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History or The Andy Warhol Museum, call
412.622.3358. For information about volunteering at Carnegie Science
Center, call 412.237.3321.
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