Meet Richard, this week’s volunteer spotlight!
Richard began volunteering with Congress Square Park this year and was the first to arrive on our annual Spring Clean Up day! Since that first volunteer day, Richard has helped immensely with gardening, building the new garden bed, putting up signage and helping at events, as well as coming by the park multiple times a day to sweep.
When asked why he chooses to volunteer, he said. “ You can either pick your tombstone or you can do something. So I do something and I happen to like it!” After retiring from being a laborer Richard was looking for a way to spend his time doing something meaningful and was encouraged by other volunteers living in his building to get in touch.
Richard lives right next door to the Park and thus gives it the love and care he would for his own backyard. He wakes up each morning to his cat, Kit, thinking that 3AM is hunting time. Though he was born in St. Albans, Vermont, Richard chooses to live in Portland to nurture his love for the ocean. He often walks down to the harbor to smell the sea and occasionally takes boat tours of the Casco Bay Islands.
Richard has been such a wonderful addition to the volunteer crew this year. Thank you for your steady and willing presence in the Square!
To meet Richard and other awesome volunteers in the park, check out one of our upcoming events here: http://congresssquarepark.org/events/
And to learn more about volunteering with us check out: http://congresssquarepark.org/volunteer/ OR contact: <volunteer@congresssquarepark.org>