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Ranching is part of the history and romance of the American West, but, too often, everyday life on the range and in the ranch house is forgotten. Texas Tech University’s NATIONAL RANCHING HERITAGE CENTER will allow you to share our history by training you as a volunteer who can educate others on the evolution of ranching in times gone by.

The Ranching Heritage Center has brought together 35 structures to illustrate life from the bunkhouse to the line camp. The buildings of the center show the evolution of ranch architecture from a single room log cabin to a stylish Queen Anne ranch house at the turn of the century. The buildings reflect not only the wealth of their owners but also the construction materials available at the time.

The center traces the movement of the cattle industry from southern Texas to the open plains of the Llano Estacado. The invention of barbed wire and introduction of the windmill transformed the cattle industry because the era of open range grazing and the cattle drive was replaced by the westward movement of homesteaders and fences. With fences came better land management and improvements in cattle and sheep breeding, and consequently better and more permanent homes for families.

Volunteers serve at the center by conducting special tours on the development of West Texas, handing out informational materials, and participating in the Sunday afternoon docents program. The Ranching Heritage Center will be having a spring membership meeting on Saturday, March 20th from 9:00-11a.m. Anyone interested in learning more about this great opportunity to share our West Texas history is welcome to attend. If this looks like something you would like to do, a formal training will be held on Saturday, April 24th. Sunday docents will be asked to serve on the Sundays of their choosing between May 2 and October 25. During the fall months, there are Ranching Heritage Days and Candlelight at the Ranch special events at which you also might enjoy sharing the ranching history story. Come learn to educate others on the fascinating history of West Texas!

OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

MACKENZIE HOUSE, 8609 Boston Ave., is an assisted living center that wants to enhance their activity programs by starting a “Volunteer Auxiliary”. Volunteers may instruct residents in games and crafts, help them write their life stories, teach art classes, serve refreshments, give manicures—whatever you would like to do that would add to their quality of life. If you have a computer, sewing machine, or outside plants for gardening you could donate, they would be much appreciated too. If you live in south Lubbock, come get to know your neighbors at Mackenzie House!

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, 2002 W. Loop 289, Suite 100, would like your assistance in their offices. Mail is always a big job at the SSA, and someone to distribute incoming mail, collect and meter outgoing mail, and ship folders and appeal packages would be much appreciated. If you would like, you could easily be trained to check completed disability review forms. There is also always a need for someone to shred and/or file papers. Volunteering to do any of these jobs at your convenience would be of value to the SSA. How about helping out in an office that is helping you?

To volunteer, or for more information about these or other volunteer positions, please call the RSVP office at 742-2423.

How about helping to change the world--one child at a time?

HOW do I join RSVP?
Becoming a member of RSVP is simple as long as you are at least 55 and have some time to volunteer. Just call the office at 742-2423 and chat with Ronda Casey or Bonne Phillips about your interests. If you are not certain what you would like to do, we can mention several current volunteer opportunities and send you a list of the sort of jobs which RSVP members are presently doing to whet your appetite. If you have a special skill or talent that you would like to utilize, we will search to find just the right job for you. Just mail in the enrollment form (requires Adobe Reader) and we will call you!