Meet Karen, this weeks Volunteer Spotlight!

This week our volunteer spotlight is Karen Perry, also known as Creative Karen. She’s been a staple in the park for 4 years, cultivating beauty as a member of our gardening team (especially watering!), taking countless photographs of the fun in the Square and advocating both locally and nationally for accessibility in public spaces. Karen is an artist and self-professed “people person.” She seems to know everyone in the city!

You’ve probably seen Karen downtown. She’s always dressed in bright colors, with a funky hat and jewelry. Even her walker has dazzle! She started volunteering because she believes parks can be windows into other worlds. Meeting new people who become friends, sharing creative activities, designing a healthy and green environment – she says, “it moulds happiness!”

Karen shared, “When I first started to volunteer I had trouble at the time with talking. Everybody at CSP was very patient with me. It served as win-win situation for me.” Karen has aphasia, which results in the loss of ability to understand and express speech. Feeling stuck at home for a while, she found the park was an outlet for socialization and a way to make an impact in a city she loves.

One of her favorite memories from the Square is when she invited her friends for a “celebration of life” party or “Fun-eral.” Karen had been going to the Death Cafes at the library and she wanted to celebrate her friendships now, rather than waiting. The Square was a setting for friends to listen to music, enjoy a pot-luck picnic, and spend time with each other.

When asked what her ideal day would be like, she said she has simple needs: being with people, looking them in the eyes, listening, and sharing stories. That’s Karen, our social butterfly!

You bring so much joy, Karen. WE APPRECIATE YOU!

To meet Karen 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>

Meet Nina, this weeks Volunteer Spotlight!

Nina (pictured on the right) began volunteering in 2015 when she came to the coast of Maine in search of connection within the Arts Community of Portland. She stumbled upon the square and was so delighted to meet the Friends. She has been involved ever since that first year when she helped plan the “Pumpkins in the Square” Event. She now serves on our Board and is a regular Event Ambassador throughout the season!

When asked what her favorite part about volunteering is, she responded, “My favorite part about volunteering is it allows me to feel like a part of the city. I’m passionate about supporting arts events that are barrier-free and welcoming of everyone.” She loves the park for its ability to bring community members together in the name of free and public art, to foster as she puts it so beautifully, “a deepened sense of connectedness to the place they live.”

Nina describes this deepened sense of community in a story from this years Yellow Tulip Project’s Hope Day event. It was a celebration of mental health awareness which included musical performances and storytelling from young community members. Hearing teenagers share so freely was a beautiful way to emerge from winter and into that connectedness that comes with Spring in the Square. This event blended two of Nina’s personal passions: people and art! As a recent graduate of the University of New England’s Master’s program in Social Work, Nina is super excited to be a mental health clinician and advocate for art-as-therapy.

Finally, when asked what her perfect day included, she responded, “Fresh air, hugs, exchanges with strangers, music, and tears of joy.” It is a good list, I’d say and thankfully, all of which, are available at Congress Square Park!

Thank you so much for your vibrant presence! WE APPRECIATE YOU!

To meet Nina 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 .

This week our volunteer spotlight, is long-time park participant, Mark Wakefield! Mark is a local Portland crossing guard who take wonderful pride in what he does to give back to his community. In the park, Mark is present for all volunteer events, always willing to help enthusiastically with maintaining the beauty of the space. We can always count on Mark to have an eye on the weather forecast and to keep us in the loop on the probability of sunshine.

Among all of his helpful tasks, Mark’s favorites are putting up the umbrellas every morning and interacting with all of the friendly people in the Square. He loves to be there to experience the bustling hubbub of events. He is especially happy when there is live music, people dancing, and the smell of the Hot Dog Stand grilling delicious food!

When asked what his ideal day would be like, he responded with, “A lot of Tina Turner music. Maybe an all-day Tina Turner concert.” Maybe someday we can have a Tina Turner Dance Party in the park and make our dear friend, Mark’s, dream come true!

            Thank you for the light you bring to Congress Square!

 WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Welcome to a new season of vibrant fun in Congress Square Park! Despite the rainy day, we are choosing to shine some sunlight on what makes Congress Square Park thrive. This year, we will be posting weekly Volunteer Shout Out’s to highlight our fabulous community of hardworking, helpers!

To kick off the season, I am so glad to announce our first shining volunteer, Julia! Julia began volunteering in January of 2018 and volunteered as an Event Ambassador during the 2018 season. She started volunteering after being a regular attendee of Congress Square Park Events. She described marking events on her calendar as “Must-see’s” while also enjoying the park on her walk home from work as a nice spot to simply rest in the sun for a few moments and hear some great music.

She began volunteering because she says, “I feel strongly about creating, preserving, and celebrating equitable public spaces that are accessible to all community members at all times, and providing a place for a broad spectrum of the arts to be showcased.” Her favorite part of being a part of Congress Square Park’s volunteer crew has been watching diverse groups of people make the space their own and seeing how it becomes a haven for human connection.

I asked Julia if she had a favorite memory in the Square and she shared a beautiful story with us: “A moment I think of often was during one of our Salsa lesson nights last summer. A young father approached the dance floor with his small daughter who was eager to participate but a little shy. He encouraged her saying ‘do your best and have fun!’, and the folks on the dance floor welcomed the little girl in and danced with her while her dad watched and took photos. It was such a special example of community members connecting with each other and with the art and music in the park in a meaningful and easy way.”

Finally, to get a sense of the full extent of Julia’s awesomeness, we asked her what her ideal day included. She says, “My perfect day has coffee, warm sunshine, music, and lots of laughing with friends. And tacos. Oh, and poutine. Also a cheeseburger. Two cheeseburgers.” If you ask me, that sounds like a fun day to be a part of! Also, she likes to do cartwheels. Another bonus.

Thank you, Julia for all that you have brought to the park as a volunteer! We appreciate you!

To meet Julia 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 .