A Call to Volunteer at the Civic Building at Veterans Plaza

HEADLINE (or, “Twitter Post”)
Our Welcome Desk needs volunteers. The qualifications are simple: Be welcoming of our community as they enter the building. That is it. Really.

THE LONGER STORY

Our Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza had its Grand Opening Thursday July 8th . It was a success beyond expectations. The Portico came alive in the early afternoon with entertainment provided by the community. By the time of the official ribbon cutting (6:30 p.m.) there were hundreds of people mingling around Veterans Plaza. And then the big moment came: All were invited into the building. Onlookers and passerbys found the building beaming with art and activities and were greeted by community stakeholders exemplifying our vibrant and diverse Silver Spring. It felt very good indeed… As I heard someone said, it felt “comfortably crowded; welcoming; and chaotically constructive.”

The first day of official operation (Friday, July 9th) was simply incredible. There was not a single moment of ‘quiet’ at the Welcome Desk. People were coming inside in a constant flow simply wanting to see the building, check out the spaces, inquire about access, or just ‘walk around’. Later at night the Veterans Plaza became an ‘instant success’. It felt like it should have always been there; it felt so natural. I was full of folks sitting around the benches and enjoying the open air pavilion for all sorts of impromptu activities. I was amazed at the range of people there. Walking around and talking to some of the people, it was very neat to hear comments from “I’ve been waiting for this a long time” to “What is this place? Whatever it is, it is cool!”

Now reality sinks in. We now must deliver. And, we need your help.

Our Welcome Desk needs volunteers. The qualifications are simple: Be welcoming of our community as they enter the building. That is it. Really.

We want to try to have our Welcome Desk functioning 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. weekdays and Saturday morning at least through noon… But, we simply can not do that without a strong volunteer corp… So, we need your help. Now.

Please 'cut-&-paste' and e-mail Gwen.Haney@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov indicating the hours you might be available and for further information. It is that simple. Thanks!