MARYSVILLE – Are you bored in retirement and want something to do? Are the kids going to school now and you want to help somewhere? Are you unemployed and want to be active during this down time?
Volunteers are needed all around the community, but especially at the Marysville-Tulalip Chamber of Commerce.
Director Jesica Stickles said Tuesday that when she first got the job in 2015 there were 16 volunteers. Now, there are nine.
What that means is sometimes the Visitors Center has to be closed. That means tourists or other visitors can’t get the information they want on where they should go to have fun or where’s a good restaurant?
Stickles said the strong economy is making it hard to keep volunteers.
“Volunteerism is down everywhere,” she said, adding, “There are so many job opportunities to go back to work.” She said there were some new volunteers, but they were “snatched up within six months.”
Another reasons volunteer numbers are down right now is because snowbirds have gone south for the winter.
“They come back mid-year,” she said. “It’s a revolving door of volunteers.” Shifts available are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 5 p.m. daily. Stickles said they like to have friends volunteer together in case it gets busy or if it’s not busy they have someone to talk to.
Volunteers should like to meet new people as the Visitors Center gets folks from all over the world. It helps if you know the area, but it’s not mandatory.
Stickles said people pick up what to do quickly with just a little training.
She said there are some “fun perks” volunteering there. They have an appreciation luncheon and a Christmas party. “It’s not your average stuffy office atmosphere,” she added. “We have fun and joke around. You can be as busy or not busy as you want.”
Kimberly Fleischmann of Tulalip has been a volunteer there for four years.
She likes being there for the people, and the events are fun, too.
“It’s to help out the community and make community connections,” she said.
Interested? Contact office manager Ann Mehlert at 360-659-7700.
