With the coronavirus pandemic preventing almost everyone from meeting in person, Moose Jaw’s Western Development Museum (WDM) is finding new ways to stay in touch with its volunteers.
There are more than 100 people in Moose Jaw who volunteer in some way at the WDM, explained Karla Rasmussen, education and public programs co-ordinator. Many of these people are seniors and some of them faced physical and social isolation even before the lockdown was put in place.
Volunteering at the museum was one way for some of these seniors to connect with others and feel a part of the community.
“We really didn’t want to lose that at all,” Rasmussen said.
To stay in touch with the volunteers, Rasmussen began sending out emails with information about what the WDM was doing online and how they could continue to stay connected. The first email was sent about a week after the museum shut down, while the second email was sent in mid-April.
Phone calls have also been made to the volunteers who don’t have computers or email.
Reaching volunteers by phone is a good feeling since it’s nice to hear from them, she continued. They also feel valued, while Rasmussen can tell them how much they mean to the organization. She pointed out the WDM couldn’t run its programs without the support of volunteers.
“It sounds kind of corny, but we really are a big WDM family,” she said.
This week from April 19 to 25 is National Volunteer Week. Rasmussen hopes the WDM can maintain its connections with its many volunteers so that, when the lockdown is over, they will want to return to help and will feel engaged to do so.
One program the WDM in Moose Jaw runs every spring is the Museum Learning Day for schools. This day features many history activities that usually requires up to 25 volunteers to ensure it runs smoothly. By sending out emails with resources and ways to stay involved, this can help strengthen the connections with people.
Some volunteers have emailed Rasmussen and thanked her for keeping them connected and in the loop. One volunteer even sent her a poem as a show of appreciation.
“It’s very touching to see that people (are) still thinking of us and we’re definitely thinking of them,” she added. “I get kind of emotional just talking about it … . You appreciate them more when something like this happens.”
For more information about the Western Development Museum and to access many of its online learning resources, visit wdm.ca/moose-jaw.
