“No man is so poor as to have nothing worth giving. Give what you have. To someone it may be better than you dare to think.” – HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
The joy of volunteering is the belief that you are making a difference.
There is a priceless feeling of satisfaction that comes with knowing that you have helped an individual or a community through your voluntary contributions. Midway volunteers educate and inspire our museum visitors, enabling them to understand the sacrifices of previous generations.
“The pleasure is all mine to have this wonderful opportunity to serve aboard this great historical aircraft carrier with so many super people,” one Midway volunteer said. Another has commented that volunteering with the museum is a life-changing experience. And in reverse, the impact of volunteers is striking.
These connections go beyond the bulkheads of this aircraft carrier. Through our speakers bureau, citizenship tutors, and outreach team, Midway touches the broader community.
An example is Project SAVE, an endeavor where the Midway has connected volunteers with students at Pacific Beach Middle School to support art and creative writing. This intergenerational exchange has been worth its weight in gold. Witnessing volunteers sharing their stories and their spirit of service is awe inspiring. And then, to view the artwork and writings produced by these students, brings to light a deeper connection, and hopefully a spark that links these communities together and sustains the best of humankind.
Volunteers contribute in many ways to the museum’s success. Not only do they help the ship run efficiently, but they greatly enhance the visitor experience and empower the museum to serve and support the local community. The foundation of this support emphasizes military veterans and families of active duty personnel and first responders, such as firefighters and police officers.
The effort of volunteers also enhances our local civilian community in many ways. One of the many examples is our Bravo Zulu scholarship fund. The museum’s knot team volunteers are actively making lanyards and safety bracelets, even monkey fists, to offer museum guests in exchange for a donation. The scholarships have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to deserving San Diego students looking to pursue education beyond high school.
Midway thanks all the Midway volunteers past, present and future for their generous gifts.
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