If you think museums are only about old things and telling old stories, Maria Garcia, the Museum Services Associate at Kelowna Museums will change your mind and hopefully inspire you to join the team of volunteers that support the organizations害羞草研究所� mission and vision.

害羞草研究所淜elowna Museums Society started in 1936 as a community interest and in 1951 as a registered not-for-profit society,害羞草研究所� explains Maria. 害羞草研究所淚t provides the region害羞草研究所檚 residents and visitors with on-going interpretation of the Okanagan and beyond. We are committed to serve the community as history is not just something static that happened in the past, it害羞草研究所檚 alive and moving forward. Everybody living in the Okanagan right now is part of that history.害羞草研究所�

The Kelowna Museums Society害羞草研究所檚 mission is to provides the public with educational exhibitions and programs that foster personal participation, stimulate curiosity, and engage the senses with the cultures, histories, and possibilities of the Okanagan region and includes five distinct identities in three locations: the Okanagan Heritage Museum, Okanagan Military Museum, The Okanagan Wine & Orchard Museum, the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame and the Laurel Packinghouse. There is always something new to discover and Kelowna Museums works with Indigenous partners to share learning experiences like na虛蕯k虛史ulam蓹n (nakulamen, what we do) and nsyilxcen for Everyone.

Maria is originally from Mexico where she used to be a broadcaster (presenter, writer and researcher) for a public radio station and also worked in public and cultural institutions for over 20 years. She has a Master害羞草研究所檚 degree in art history, focused on film and is an avid fan of horror movies, especially The Exorcist. She and her husband moved from Edmonton to Kelowna in July 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and she was thrilled to see the posting for her job with the Okanagan Heritage Museum the week after she got here.

害羞草研究所淚t was a natural for me, so I applied and got the job,害羞草研究所� she remembers happily. Part of Maria害羞草研究所檚 work includes coordinating the volunteers that help at Kelowna Museums. 害羞草研究所淭hey support by working at the front desk and at special events. Our organization is not that big and so the impact they make is huge 害羞草研究所� especially with the visitors!害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲orking the front desk implies that you are the face of the organization and every time a visitor comes through the door, you are the person welcoming them, giving them information about our exhibits, taking donations and inviting them to our public programs,害羞草研究所� adds Maria. 害羞草研究所淎lso, you害羞草研究所檙e in touch with the rest of the people in the organization. During special events, you assist the education team with all the activities they create for our visitors.害羞草研究所�

Volunteers can apply on the Volunteer Connector, through the museum害羞草研究所檚 website and also in person. Maria has both medium and long-term positions available and likes to have a regular schedule for people.

害羞草研究所淰olunteers have to like interacting with people and commit to a certain shift as much as possible, but our program is also flexible, depending on their schedule,害羞草研究所� explains Maria. 害羞草研究所淢any volunteers are students who also have paid work and so we need to be flexible.害羞草研究所�

Volunteers get to know how the museum works on a daily basis and to learn about the Okanagan history and other programs,害羞草研究所� says Maria, sharing on the benefits of volunteering. 害羞草研究所淭hey can develop or reinforce their communication, organization and team work skills, and they get discounts in our gift shop and the public programs, plus they get invitations to special events.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪ome of our volunteers are very involved in our journey towards truth and reconciliation and have taken nsyilxcen courses as well as cultural competency workshops,害羞草研究所� shares Maria, explaining that she loves to see those who have been engaged with the museum in the past come back to volunteer. 害羞草研究所淭hese volunteers are very valued and appreciated specially during Truth and Reconciliation Day, when the museum holds activities and welcomes hundreds of visitors.害羞草研究所�

To learn more about Kelowna Museums or to volunteer, go to www.kelownamuseums.ca.

Dorothee Birker is the communications & development manager for KCR Community Resources.