The Arts and Crafts Center at White Sands Missile Range is looking for volunteers to help at the shop.
Al Fuller, the Organization Point of Contact for Volunteers, said they need volunteers for a variety of things from cleaning up around the shop to helping with teaching classes.
Fuller, who has worked at WSMR for 28 years, said he started his career working at the Aquatic Center, which he ran for 10 years before moving to the Arts and Crafts Center. He’s been the Business Manager at the Arts and Crafts Center for almost 20 years.
“I’ve always had an arts and crafts background,” Fuller said. “I’ve been doing woodworking since I was 13 years old.”
Because of that every time they would shut the pool down, they would send him to help at the Arts and Craft Center.
Fuller said WSMR has one of the last woodshops left in the Army worldwide for MWR.
He said he has fun working at the Arts and Crafts Center and on his first day they got the first computerized mat cutter.
Fuller said they need volunteers because they can’t hire staff right now.
“We are always looking for volunteers to help teach or help out in general,” Fuller said. “We’ve had volunteers in the past who had some artistic talent and know how to do a specific type of art, so we had them help teach some classes.”
Fuller said volunteers can also help in the woodshop making plaques or even sweeping and cleaning up.
Fuller said volunteering is important because in his personal experience it gives him a sense of purpose.
“My nature is to help people in general. Which is why I work in customer service,” Fuller said. “It makes me feel good when I’m able to help somebody. If I can touch a person’s life it is rewarding.”
Fuller said they also offer a Resiliency through Art Program which is offered every Wednesday.
He said the class was originally designed for Soldiers who were getting ready to transition from military life to a civilian life.
“Sometimes they have a tough time transitioning. They’ve been told what to do, how to do and when to do for 20 plus years,” Fuller said. “The Resiliency through Art Program was designed to give them a safe space to come in and play with art.”
Fuller explains it as an adult coloring book.
“When we were kids, we were taught to draw and color between the lines. The adult coloring book concept is the same basic principle but focusing on smaller areas,” Fuller said. “It causes you to focus more on that spot rather than a large spot. By focusing more you can tune everything else out.”
He said the program offers four different mediums to work with: painting, drawing, collage, and sculpting. There is no instruction.
“People come in, we’ll explain what it is, give them a kit and they come in and sit down and work at their own pace,” Fuller said. “As long as they leave feeling more relaxed, we did our job.”
Since WSMR doesn’t have a lot of Soldiers the program is also offered to DoD civilians who work at WSMR.
“We are taking care of the military, but we are also taking care of the people who take care of the military.”
If interested in volunteering contact Fuller or Julie Mathis at (575) 678-5321.
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