Volunteer
Serve with our Friends Organization
The Friends of Shawnee Town 501c3 is managed by a Board of Trustees who serve three-year terms. Between six and 10 members are selected from the membership. The Shawnee Town Museum Director, City of Shawnee Parks and Recreation Director, Executive Director of Visit Shawnee, and a member of the City of Shawnee Parks and Recreation Advisory Board also serve on the FOST board.
Current FOST Committees:
By-laws/Nominating
Development
Membership
Special Events
If you are interested in serving on the development or membership / special events committees and have skills or background that could benefit these FOST board committees, please contact us using the form on this page.
I’d like to volunteer
with the Friends of Shawnee Town!
Volunteer Within the Shawnee Town Museum
Volunteer opportunities abound at Shawnee Town 1929! We need help with everything from living history program participants to people assisting with special events set-up. Volunteers not only help us fulfill our educational mission at the museum, but while doing so--gain a deep sense of satisfaction and self-fulfillment in the process.
As a volunteer, you:
Get to be a part of exciting changes taking place at Shawnee Town 1929
Leave a legacy
Give back to your community
Receive the latest Museum news and volunteer opportunities
Ways You Can Help:
Program & Project Needs
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Volunteers are needed for living history programs (Time Traveler Tuesdays and Thursdays), school programs, and general guided tours. Our volunteers are the key points of contact with museum visitors, and are responsible for educating our general public on what life was like in the 1920's.
This position is responsible for telling the story of the people who lived and worked in 1920's Shawnee, its connection to the Midwest farm economy, and its relationship to Kansas City. As the reconstructed town and farm at Shawnee Town 1929 continually grow and develop, our interpretive volunteers will get to bring these evolving stories and places to life for our visitors. Interpreters can be involved with historic farming and domestic programs, working in a recreated “downtown” business, working with grades K - 8 school programs, and special event programs.
Learn more about being a Volunteer Historical Interpreter for Shawnee Town 1929
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Can you sew well and do you have an interest in historic clothing? Volunteers help sew early 20th century period clothing for museum's historical interpreters who recreate Shawnee farm and town life.
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Do you love animals? Do you like to get up close and personal with them? This is your chance! We are looking for a volunteers to care for our chickens on a daily basis. The shifts are Monday through Friday for 20-30 minutes (time flexible), or Saturdays and Sundays for 20-30 minutes (time flexible). The chicken care volunteers are responsible for checking water and refilling it, checking feed and refilling it, collecting farm fresh eggs and washing them, feeding food scraps to the chickens (when available), checking the general health of the chickens and reporting any concerns to staff and lastly letting staff know of anything unexpected in the coop! Training is provided!
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Our vegetable garden is used to teach during school programs as well as education for the general public. Give back to our community & watch our garden grow! Volunteer one day a week: 2 hours.
Special Event Needs
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Ideal for outgoing volunteers who enjoy the local history and traditions. Help children with hands-on activities like planting in our farmstead garden, doing the wash, making a clothespin doll, explore your heritage, learn how to play horseshoes and other crafts. Two shifts each day are needed.
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Training provided, ideal for educators and history buffs. Volunteers dress in early 20th century attire and engage in period activities such as cooking, gardening, washing, and animal husbandry, to help bring Shawnee history alive for visitors on Tuesdays & Thursdays during the day, each summer.
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If you like crafts and festivals you’ll love volunteering at this fair featuring more than 100 artisans and food vendors. Help prepare the booth spaces, assist with registration, act as runners and help clean up. Come join us on the third Saturday in September!
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A great fit for volunteers who enjoy helping families celebrate Halloween Help decorate, greet our visitors, pass out candy, assist with hayrides, judge costumes, or assist with clean-up. We celebrate on the Saturday right before Halloween.
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This is an ideal job for a car enthusiast! Help support this Friends of Shawnee Town event, while getting an up close look at all of the sweet rides! Assist with registration, packet pickup, parking and traffic.