At Alameda Museum in the island city's downtown, volunteer help wanted

"Stroll down one of Alameda's main drags, and it's hard to miss the Alameda Museum with its prominent sign on Alameda Avenue just off Park Street. Crammed with Alameda-sourced artifacts, the downtown museum is a treasure trove for anyone wanting to do research - especially about the city's many Victorian houses, one of the museum's more popular services. However, due to a lack of volunteer docents, it's only open on weekends."

"The lack of volunteers also means that programs such as the museum's lecture series focusing on Alameda history have been put on hiatus. Another museum staple, the Meyers House and Garden, a nearby restored Victorian that is also only open on weekends ( alamedamuseum.org/meyers-house), could also use some extra volunteer help. Turpen blames the shortage of volunteers on the usual reasons such as people getting older and moving away but also says people's lack of free time is a factor."

"Ultimately, she says if just 10 more people would volunteer as little as three hours a month it "would be a dream" and would let the museum, which dates back to 1948, extend its hours and reinstate programs. One of the roadblocks Turpen says she encounters with would-be volunteers is that they think they're unqualified. "'Oh, I'm not a historian,' they say. I ask people 'What's one of your favorite things about Alameda?'""

The Alameda Museum, located on Alameda Avenue near Park Street, houses many Alameda-sourced artifacts and serves as a research resource, notably for Victorian houses. The museum has been open only on weekends since the COVID-19 pandemic because of a shortage of volunteer docents; previously it opened Wednesdays through Sundays. The volunteer shortage has paused programs such as the lecture series focused on Alameda history. The nearby Meyers House and Garden also operates only on weekends and needs volunteers. Causes cited include aging volunteers, relocation, and residents' limited free time as many hold multiple jobs. Ten additional volunteers giving small time commitments could restore hours and programs.

Read at The Mercury News