At Meadow Brook, volunteers are the heart of our mission, making a meaningful impact on our daily operations. Their passion, energy and dedication breathe life into everything we do.
From docents, hosts, museum store attendants, to the Garden Club, Squires, and Naturalists, the talents of our 300+ volunteers keep Meadow Brook poised and thriving—preserving its legacy while creating memorable experiences for every visitor.
National Volunteer Week is a special time to recognize the remarkable efforts of our volunteer corps. National Volunteer Week began over fifty years ago, during the same decade Meadow Brook Hall became a public museum house and cultural venue. Established in 1974 by an Executive Order from President Richard Nixon, National Volunteer Week is an opportunity for organizations to recognize volunteers and all they give to their communities. Every U.S. President since then, regardless of party, has continued to recognize and uphold this important celebration.
Matilda and Alfred Wilson committed their lives to service, including with the foundation of a public university–of which their former home, Meadow Brook Hall, remains an integral part. Since 1971, when Meadow Brook’s volunteer docent program began, many hundreds of volunteers have worked to share and preserve this beautiful legacy.
In 2021, we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of our volunteer program and Meadow Brook Hall as a museum. In 2022, we marked the exciting thirtieth anniversary of the Meadow Brook Garden Club, which was organized in 1992, and now has hundreds of members who maintain and beautify our lovely grounds and gardens.
Last year, hundreds of active volunteers gave more than 16,100 hours of service, which takes on many different forms.
Today, our volunteers contribute in countless ways: caring for our collections, interpreting the Hall and its artifacts for thousands of guests, managing invasive species in the woodlands, installing deer fencing and seasonal decorations, untangling holiday lights, welcoming visitors at events, and assisting in the Museum Store. In short, they give generously of their time, talent and heart.
On behalf of all of us at Meadow Brook, we wish to thank our current and past volunteers for their commitment to honoring the Dodge-Wilson family legacy for over fifty years. Our success and long-term mission can only continue because of you.
For more information about volunteering at Meadow Brook, visit meadowbrookhall.org/volunteer.
