Volunteers Make It Happen!
Are you a neighbor, student, historian, archeologist, retiree? Anyone with the desire and time is welcome to join the volunteers who honor this sacred place by maintaining the grounds, preserving artifacts, capturing historic information, and being informal guides to visitors. Volunteerism is gratifying to the soul, a way to meet wonderful individuals visiting or working at the grounds, and a means to learn about the Mount Zion - Female Union Band Society cemeteries and the persons for whom this is their final resting place.
Volunteerism is informal, with most individuals giving time that fits their schedules. Individuals may choose to team up and work with a fellow volunteer, or they may choose to just 'show up and do whatever needs to be done'. Examples of how you can help include:
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Collecting and disposing of fallen tree branches and trash
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Weeding and cutting back encroaching brush around memorials, artifacts, Burial Vault path, and the forest edge
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Restoration and maintenance of benches, stairs, and paths located on the burial grounds
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(with training in approved methodologies) performing restorative cleaning of headstones and memorials
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Capturing written and oral records of the cemeteries, their role in historic black Georgetown, and records of the deceased - for archive records and use in media, education materials, and reports
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Updating and enhancing information presented on this website and social media
Examples of past days of service and volunteer training events are described below. We enjoy hearing about the good deeds our volunteers are doing! Periodically we share emails among the volunteer team to enable everyone to know each other, hear about the activities individuals are doing, solicit assistance or companionship, or ask Lisa Fager (Executive Director) for guidance, tools, and supplies.
How do i get started?
Use this email to introduce yourself, and share the nature of your interest in supporting our cemeteries - whether than be participation in a particular event, or becoming a regular volunteer.
"48 States (And A District!) in 48 Days" Historic Cemeteries Gravestone & Memorials Preservation And Restoration Workshop
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On October 6th the Mount Zion - Female Union Band Society Historic Cemeteries Memorial Park hosted Jon Appel and representatives from four Washington, DC area historic cemeteries to a Workshop on "How to restore and perform different types of repairs for the most common problems associated with gravestones, monuments, and stonework".
The Workshop was part of our commitment to Preserve, Restore, and Protect our cemeteries as a sacred place for quiet reflection, education, and respectful commemoration of the past.
To access a full portfolio of photos of the Workshop and the wonderful team restoration and repair work, please click here.
The Tour, training workshops, and supplies were made possible by these sponsors: Atlas Preservation, D/2 Biological Solution, Graffiti Solutions, Magnolia Brush, ZippKool Gear, Smith Sprayers, Wolverine Tools.