Local Historic Sites Seeking To Expand Volunteer Team
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Longtime volunteer Greg Walker leads a tour through the ruins of Kreische Brewery. Docents learn about the sites’ history and then retell it to visitors in tours throughout the grounds. -
Living historian Bobbie Nash teaches families about the wool spinning process during a weekend activity. Stepping back in time, living history volunteers show audiences different life skills and practices from the late 19th century. -
Board President and regular volunteer Andrea Polasek keeps score for a traditional game of nine-pin bowling in the Kreische House. Many volunteer opportunities involve fun and interactive family-oriented activities. -
Volunteers Melissa Weltner and Diana Wilson give a cheer during their shift at the annual Bluff SchuetzenFest— an event impossible without Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill’s volunteer team.
Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites is seeking to expand their volunteer team and welcome anyone with passions for history, nature, community service, and fellowship. Interested community members can learn more at the Sites’ Volunteer Open House on Thursday evening, Sept. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free for potential volunteers and guests are welcome to come and go throughout the evening. Call the sites’ visitors center at (979) 968-5658 or visit their social media for links to RSVP.
Guests will have an opportunity to meet current volunteers and learn what it means to get involved. “We are so lucky to have this absolute gem in our own backyard, and it brings me so much joy when people in our community rediscover it,” says Sites’ Friends Group President and regular volunteer Andrea Polasek. “I grew up visiting historic sites with my family, and those memories really stuck with me. We are drowning in technology today, and it is so refreshing to spend an afternoon teaching families about parlor games, helping them make their own ice cream, or even just pointing them in the right direction while they ramble down the trail and enjoy the fresh air.”
The open house will feature a variety of activities that highlight the diversity of volunteer programs. Guests will walk around the sites and see what it’s like to greet guests at the Visitors Center, lead guided tours around the Bluff, host family programs at the sites’ outdoor children’s exhibit, apply historic preservation techniques to the tomb and monument, support the sites’ popular special events, facilitate educational field trips, and teach about the past through living history programs.
“There really is something for everyone here,” says Volunteer Coordinator Jenny Townzen. “If you enjoy meeting new people and sharing Texas history, you’re likely a great fit. Even if you’re more of an introvert or don’t consider yourself a history nut, there are dozens of opportunities that operate behind the scenes to serve the public.”
Light refreshments will be provided throughout the evening, and each attendee will receive a goody bag with volunteer information and giveaways. Raffle prizes, made possible thanks to several local businesses, will be awarded to attendees who participate in the evening activities.
Kreische Brewery & Monument Hill State Historic Sites is located at 414 TX-92 Spur, La Grange. For more information, call the site visitors center at (979) 968-5658, visit the sites social media pages, or email the volunteer coordinator at jennifer.townzen@thc. texas.gov.
Those unable to attend Thursday’s open house but still interested in volunteering are strongly encouraged to contact the volunteer coordinator.