When you become an HMAer, there are a lot of values that are suddenly instilled in you. Some of these are small things, like always holding Macs above PCs. Some are business oriented, like our motto of “It can be done,” but there are others that are life lessons, which change you for the better. Throughout my years at globalHMA, there has always been push to get involved and give back to the community. It wasn’t until this past year that I actually took this to heart and began looking for outlets through where I could use some of my time for the better.
This past December, I attended the Lancaster Young Professionals holiday party at LancasterHistory.org. It was here that I was hit with a brilliant idea. I’ve always had a love of history and theatre. I worked as a campus tour guide in college, so why not volunteer through LancasterHistory.org as a tour guide at James Buchanan’s home of Wheatland? This is what I am now training to do, as well as participating in living history programs.
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to work alongside some dedicated history buffs to present living history tours in President Buchanan’s home. Dressed in period costume, we portrayed historical characters interacting in scripted scenes while visitors toured the mansion. Programs like this provide the public with insight into who Buchanan was, what beliefs he held highly or disagreed with and who the important people in his life were. It allows attendees to take a step back through history to learn about and appreciate those who helped build the community we live in now.
Though I’m not a certified tour guide yet, I am truly enjoying the time I’m spending within this organization. Working with such passionate people to help educate visitors and keep a piece of Lancaster’s history alive is proving to be a vastly rewarding experience. It is also expanding my own historical knowledge. I should have listened to the globalHMA team and started volunteering a few years ago. I’m so glad that I finally took their advice and began giving back.
