Apr

It all began with a 20-minute tour

Fifty years ago, Donna DeCorleto stepped off a tourist bus and into the Smithsonian’s history.

1964. A bus stop somewhere near downtown Washington, DC. A young woman and her mother are on vacation from Connecticut. The mother agrees to let her daughter go on a bus tour of the city on her own. The high schooler steps on the bus and an incredible story begins.

DeCorleto, wearing red ball cap displays her medal for 50 years of service

Donna DeCorleto has been volunteering at the Smithsonian for 50 years. (Photo by Michael Rubin)

In addition to stops at the Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln monuments and memorials, the driver pulls up in front of the then newly opened Museum of History and Technology (today’s National Museum of American History). Tourists on the bus are informed that this building is the Smithsonian, and everyone has 20 minutes to get off the bus and take it in. The young woman asks a security officer inside what she should see and is directed towards the museum’s signature exhibitions.

The young woman’s name is Donna DeCorleto, and that visit made a lasting impression. Ten years after that bus tour, Donna, by then an area resident, responded to an opportunity in the Smithsonian’s printed newsletter, calling for volunteers to come work in the Smithsonian Call Center. Fifty years later, Donna is still answering calls in that same program, managed by the Office of Visitor Services (OVS).

Volunteering is a very important part of Donna’s life. In addition to the Smithsonian Call Center, she has spent the last 16 years volunteering for the local public broadcasting network, WETA. There, she has been an email correspondent, a supervisor of other volunteers, a member of the production crew for live performances at the White House and has been given screen credit for her work editing and fact checking for shows that the network has broadcast. At Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, Donna has served on the board several times over the course of the last 19 years, including one term as chair.

New call center volunteers never need long to collect a few favorite stories. With fifty years of volunteering, Donna has more than a few she qualifies as most memorable. There was the Australian caller who seemed to be asking if the Smithsonian had any lice on view. “Lice?” “Yes,” the caller would respond; “lice, L*A*C*E, lice!” Deciphering challenging accents is just part of the job when you work in our call center!

Maybe even more memorable was the very upset caller who had just been told by a hospital physician she was too big for their MRI machine, but very much needed to be scanned. Out of desperation she called the Smithsonian. Donna, always very resourceful, called the zoo and was able to speak with someone who had the authority to grant the caller the opportunity to have her scan done using the zoo’s equipment. The call saved the woman’s life! She called back a month later to thank Donna profusely!

Donna has met countless Smithsonian volunteers over the decades. She has a pretty good sense of what qualities most volunteers possess. “Enthusiasm is true, and a genuine interest in getting things right.” As a matter of fact, with all the things that have changed over the last 50 years, two things that have always remained the same are the staff and volunteers’ commitment to treating our callers and visitors graciously and professionally, as well as always being as accurate as possible in the information and guidance we provide.

She also knows how coveted Smithsonian volunteer roles can be. People are always interested to hear about what it is like to volunteer at a place like the Smithsonian. Our volunteers are proud of their roles, and they usually place high value on the opportunity to give back.

As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month this April, Donna wants her fellow volunteers to know how much she enjoys working alongside them and how proud she is to be part of this incredible corps.

Donna’s introduction to the Smithsonian and eventual journey to a storied volunteer career, now at 50 years and counting, started on a DC tour bus. Maybe your story is different. It doesn’t matter. Every volunteer has an incredible story to tell. Donna makes a point to say that she is merely representative of the people who donate their time and skill to the Smithsonian. Donna’s message to those just getting started on their adventure as Smithsonian volunteers: “You’ll never want to leave! You’re going to love it!”