Volunteer Spotlight, John Schumacher
John Schumacher
Highlands Hammock State Park
In his 11 years as a volunteer, John is just shy of logging 5,000 hours as a CCC Museum docent and tour guide. As one of the park’s most dedicated volunteers, he has regularly worked a four-hour shift on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and also has helped cover special events such as the annual CCC Festival and International Museum Day. John has a special connection to any returning “CCC boys,” all of whom are now in their late 90s and, at the time, were just a few years older than he when they enrolled in the corps.
He delights in answering questions and conducting visitors through the museum so they understand the significance of this important cultural site. At 92, John brings a unique perspective to his tours. Born in 1928, he experienced the Depression years as a child growing up in Nebraska and remembers them well. He has said, “For folks to survive in those hard times, they had to raise chickens and keep a garden, and many did not make it.”
It has been 91 years since the stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Depression. Many visitors have little knowledge of the 1930s and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal Era programs. John’s extensive knowledge together with his outgoing personality and his enthusiasm for his subject matter create an engaging atmosphere for visitors as they learn why “working in the CCC was a vacation from poverty” for thousands of unemployed young men.
John also has partnered with museum curator David Schmidt to bring history to life by taking young people back in time through role-playing, so they can get a true sense of life in the Depression. A master at training new museum volunteers, he ensures they follow procedures for opening and closing. His fellow docents thoroughly enjoy working with him, and John possesses a wealth of information that he generously shares.
John is a lifelong learner. He has participated in field trips to Archbold Biological Research Station and volunteer appreciation events. In March 2018, volunteers joined him in celebrating his 90th birthday during a special field trip to Myakka River State Park.
For his remarkable service, Mr. Schumacher received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, also known as Volunteer Florida, in 2010.