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The Lubbock Memorial Arboretum is our featured station for July and a wonderful place to volunteer if you would like to be part of a living tribute to the plants that beautify this area. If you haven’t been by, the office is a small brick house located just north of the Garden and Arts Center at 4111 University. The Arboretum features an exhibit of the best trees, shrubs, vines and other ornamental plants that can be grown in this area. It is also a laboratory for studying existing plants and testing, evaluating and experimenting with new plants. Arboretum Educational programs throughout the year provide information on planting, gardening and plant care to the general public. On the second Saturday of the month from 9:30 until noon there are programs for adults and concurrent programs for children so that the whole family can enjoy the Arboretum. If you are running out of things to do with the grandkids, this is a great opportunity to get the youngsters interested in the outdoors while you learn how to care for your lawn, trees, and gardens.

The Lubbock Memorial Arboretum celebrated its 40th birthday this year. From its inception, it has been a volunteer organization. The first paid staff member was not hired until 1997. As gardens and programs have been developed, more and more volunteers have been needed. A museum of living plants requires a lot of care and attention that many “green thumbs” provide. Every Wednesday morning, volunteers meet at the arboretum, discuss what needs to be done and are delighted to have new gardeners join them. If you want to support the work of the arboretum, but don’t want to garden, there is a place for you in the gift shop. For a little slice of historical Lubbock, this shop has several wooden items for sale made from the old Winchester Square mulberry tree. Whether or not you choose the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum as a volunteer assignment, you owe it to yourself to set aside some time for a tranquil stroll through the grounds for your own pleasure and education. Whatever your passion—be it trees, roses or simply a quiet place to walk—don’t let the opportunity to support your arboretum pass you by this summer.

 
OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION, now at 3403 73rd St., Suite 1, grants wishes to children who have a life threatening illness. Lots of different volunteer opportunities are available at this organization. Your help would be appreciated in office administration, working on special events and fund raising, doing mail outs, interviewing potential recipients and making the arrangements for the granting of a wish. If you’d like to find out more about this foundation, an Open House will be held at the office from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 27th.

CARILLON HOUSE, 1717 Norfolk, is the lovely long-term care center that is a part of Carillon Senior Living Campus. The activity director there would like volunteers to help feed their pet birds three times a week, or help to water and nourish their indoor plants once a week, or to take around the courtesy cart once a week to pass out magazines, cards and refreshments and visit with the residents one-on-one. Would you?

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!