National Day of Service at The Snake River Homestead: Shelley volunteers preserve a community gem
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The following is a news release from the Snake River Homestead.
SHELLEY — Members of the community converged on Shelley to winterize the Snake River Homestead before cold weather sets in as part of the 9/11 National Day of Service held on Saturday, September 14.
More than 70 people from the Shelley and Idaho Falls area, including families, LDS missionaries and Just Serve volunteers converged on the newly christened Snake River Homestead to tackle staining and painting structures around the park. The park contains a historic preserved schoolhouse, general store, log cabins, barn and rodeo grounds.
The Homestead, formerly The North Bingham County Historical Park, is now under new management. After a prolonged battle to restore water to the park and maintain this gem for the future, community members formed a committee to keep the park going though events like the National Day of Service.
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Service Event Coordinator Anna Williams said, “Our volunteers have been super generous with their time and resources today. Everyone has worked so hard; we could not have done all of this without them.”
In addition to sanding, sealing, and staining, volunteers set up a new area of raised garden beds and prepped the arena for a new coat of paint. The committee chose these projects to preserve and expand the park’s resources so they will continue to benefit the community for years to come.
“The Homestead was built on volunteerism,” Williams said. “A legacy of civil service has made this park what it is, and we are really thrilled with the way everyone has pitched in to preserve that.”
Williams said that there are still several more projects that need to be done before winter. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities at the Homestead or would like to donate, you can call Anna Williams at 208-932-6643.
