Trust for the National Mall Honors our Volunteers-in-Parks Heroes with Annual Recognition Ceremony
Trust for the National Mall Honors our 2022 Volunteers-in-Parks Heroes with Annual Recognition Ceremony
On Saturday, January 28, the National Mall Volunteer-in-Parks Program, comanaged by the Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Service, recognized the exceptional service of the National Mall volunteer corps in 2022. The VIP program empowers a diverse community of volunteers to contribute their skills and knowledge through rewarding, engaging, and mutually beneficial experiences in support of the shared mission of the National Park Service and the Trust to enrich the visitor experience and preserve the natural and cultural resources on the National Mall VIPs play several roles such as informing and guiding our visitors to services and special events, sharing our monuments and memorials with guests from around the world and preserving the National Mall grounds.
This past year…
The Trust added more than 40 volunteers to the National Mall, bringing the Volunteer-in-Parks Program to 200 individuals.
Our VIPs served 45,000 hours providing visitor services at the National Mall’s monuments and memorials.
There were 112 volunteer groups, totaling nearly 2,000 volunteers, who joined us for Days of Service on the National Mall contributing over 5,000 hours of work to care for and truly enrich this iconic space.
Meet our awardees below! Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 641 was recognized as the National Mall Group Volunteers of the Year for their continued efforts in washing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
The program recognized Clark Construction, Helmets to Hardhats and Home Depot as the Program Partner of the Year, as they were instrumental in helping the Trust provide safe, efficient and welcoming spaces for our volunteers, and especially our many veteran volunteers to do meaningful work at the kiosks near the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The Trust for the National Mall is grateful for our National Park Service partners who work alongside the Trust to build and support the National Mall’s incredible volunteer programming. The Trust for the National Mall is continuing to work to expand this award-winning program to new sites on America’s Front Yard so that volunteers of varying ages, backgrounds and professions can help visitors connect more deeply to the National Mall’s past, present and future. The Trust and the National Park Service work to recruit, train and support these volunteers, dressed in their signature yellow, to help them educate the public about the National Mall.
2022 VOLUNTEER AWARDEES
National Mall Volunteer of the Year: CHARLES MITCHELL
Charles Mitchell began volunteering on the National Mall 6 years ago, and has since been a dedicated volunteer at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where he volunteers weekly. In 2022, Charles was an amazing resource to both volunteers and rangers, whom he kept up to date on the Wall of Remembrance, a new addition to the Memorial in 2022. Charles provides support to nearly all the events that take place at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, including the dedication event for the Wall of Remembrance in 2022, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and countless wreath layings and honor flight visits.
Other volunteers and rangers have said the following about Charles’s volunteer service:
“Charles goes above and beyond to chat and provide interesting information to visitors and dignitaries alike.”
“Charles has been an asset to the rangers and other volunteers with his work at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and he keeps us informed of new additions and updates”
“Charles is always professional when dealing with National Park Service staff and other volunteers.”
“Charles shows diligence in reporting issues and sharing relevant observations and research. He also has a pleasant personality.”
National Mall New Volunteer of the Year: David Klahr
David Klahr joined the National Mall Volunteer Program in September of 2021, and has since been a consistent and welcome presence at the Washington Monument. David’s knowledge of the National Mall is truly impressive, and he continues to do additional research and share his findings with park rangers and volunteers. David has consistently volunteered himself to support the program beyond his standard duties, and has created several informational resources to support the rangers and volunteers at the Washington Monument. David uses his knowledge to find personal connections with every visitor to the Washington Monument to ensure they have a memorable visit.atever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Other volunteers and rangers have shared the following about David’s service:
“David knows about as much as the rangers do as far as interpretive information, and has even been willing to briefly step in and help with the line on occasion when we really needed an extra body. He is also excellent with general crowd control.”
“David’s knowledge of Washington, DC history is truly astounding. He is well-researched, and great at sharing that information with other volunteers and visitors.”
“David goes out of his way to ensure visitors have a great experience – he has the best recommendations on where to go, what to see, and how to make special memories.”
2022 NATIONAL MALL VOLUNTEER GROUP OF THE YEAR: THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, CHAPTER 64
The Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 641 was recognized for their volunteer contributions at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 2022. The group assisted in washing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall six times over the year, providing 508 total volunteers who served over 2,500 hours together. 2022 marked the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the VVA has been a participant in washing the wall since the wall washing program began. The National Mall is grateful for the continued support of Chapter 641 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Watch an interview with Vietnam Veterans of America leaders Imants Celtnieks, Howard Clark, Bill Gray, and Art Wong as they washed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on November 6, 2022.
2022 NATIONAL MALL VOLUNTEER PARTNERS OF THE YEAR: CLARK CONSTRUCTION, THE HOME DEPOT, AND HELMETS TO HARDHATS
Clark Construction, The Home Depot, and Helmets to Hardhats were each recognized for their contributions to improving the information kiosks at the Korean War Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The three partners provided in kind donations of materials and expertise to improve these spaces for the volunteers and rangers who use the kiosks every day to provide essential services to visitors and veterans on the National Mall. More than 50 partner organizations did work to improve National Mall and Memorial Parks’ monuments, memorials, and green spaces in 2022; however, there wasn’t a single project that matched the profile and outcome of the kiosk improvements. Learn more about the kiosk improvements.
Photo Gallery
Photos by Bill Shugarts and Trust for the National Mall
