Volunteering is Fun!

This month’s volunteer profile features Lois Callaghan.

“The first time I visited Santa Fe and New Mexico was in 1960. Overwhelmed by the beautiful sky, the mountains, and the friendly people, my dream of living in this very special place finally came true in 1999.  Retiring after thirty years as an educator, my husband, Dick, and I packed our household and moved to Santa Fe.

While training as a volunteer for the Museum of International Folk Art in 2000, a friend suggested I also attend Las Golondrinas’ training to fully discover the history and Hispanic culture of New Mexico. This was a very good idea for someone from New Jersey!

One of my first opportunities to enjoy sharing history with visitors was as a Josefina docent. During those early years, we included “Lunch With Josefina” and a chance to visit with our guests. A favorite place to be on Fridays was the schoolhouse. Watching the burros helped pass the time. I enjoyed the quiet of the fields and the changing colors in the fall. Many spring and fall Spanish Colonial Days found me in the same location, appreciating the opportunity to meet so many children — a reminder of all the children I had known through my years as a teacher. On other Spanish Colonial Days, I helped with candle dipping and teaching crafts. Eventually, I also spent a few hours in the country store, the Baca house and making tortillas on the comal.

Every time I arrive at Las Golondrinas, I feel the serenity of the open fields as the everyday world disappears. I am fortunate to have been a docent at Las Golondrinas all these years.

The past eighteen years have flown by. During that time I have also been a docent at the Santa Fe Opera and Chamber Music performances. I am still a docent at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts and Cancer Care. My husband, Dick, was also a volunteer at Las Golondrinas, but passed away in 2009. My daughter, Lee Ann, and her husband, Mathew, live in New York, but love to visit Santa Fe.

I have recently moved to El Castillo and am enjoying renewing acquaintances with friends I have known through these past years.”