By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews
WALDPORT — If you want to meet people from all over the world without leaving Oregon’s Central Coast, you could spend some time at the Alsea Bay Bridge Visitor Center in Waldport, which is actively seeking new volunteers.
“We had about 9,000 people come here last fiscal year from every state in the U.S. and 37 other countries,” says Tom Fullmer, executive director of the Waldport Chamber of Commerce. The chamber staffs and operates the center, which shares space in a building at the south end of the Alsea Bay Bridge with the Waldport Heritage Museum and chamber offices.
“Volunteering is an opportunity to meet people from literally all over the world,” says Fullmer, who oversees volunteer recruitment and training at the center. “It’s an ideal job for retirees — all of our regulars are retirees — and for new residents, it’s the best way to get to know their community.”
The center is open from Thursday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in summer and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in autumn, winter and spring from October 1st.
New volunteers should ideally commit to one day per week, but a full day is not required. Nor is it necessary to live in Waldport. What is needed, however, are reliable individuals who are happy to greet visitors, help with maps and brochures, and are interested in communicating the attractions of the Oregon Coast.
In return, volunteers receive 50% off all merchandise (hoodies, hats, mugs, etc.) as well as invitations to all Chamber events, such as the September Ice Cream Meetup at JillyBeanz.
But it’s not the gifts and invitations that attract volunteers like Thelma Cox of Waldport, who has volunteered at the center for two years.
“I needed something to do when I moved here from Klamath Falls,” Cox says. “I like talking to people and hearing where they’re coming from and where they’re going. And I feel like I’m helping my community.”
Visitors often inquire about restaurants, shops, accommodations and natural attractions in the area. The shelves of brochures and maps in the center can provide all the answers to these questions.
“Often, first-time visitors are blown away by the beauty of the Oregon coast,” Cox says of the response she gets from visitors. “Some like the quiet of Waldport, and others enjoy the fact that all the beaches along the coast are public.”
For Cox, the work is “so interesting… you meet interesting people from all over the world. And the community needs you.”
Potential volunteers can submit a registration form on the chamber’s website, email Fullmer at [email protected] or call him at 503-789-9686.
