Belle Mickelson plays fiddle with staff from Dancing with the Spirit. Back row: Bobby Gilbert, Josephine Malemute and the Rev. Dr. Trimble Gilbert. Front row: Kelly May, the Rev. Belle Mickelson. Photo Courtesy Encore.org/Talking Eyes Media
Editor’s note: Cordova community events and programs run on volunteers. This is an ongoing series of Volunteer Spotlight Q&A’s in partnership with the Cordova Chamber of Commerce to honor those who give their time and efforts to better the community.
The
Rev. Belle Mickelson went to school to be a science teacher and is now the
rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church. In Cordova, she helps with the Cordova
4H Music Camp and Morning Music at the Mt. Eccles Elementary School. She
travels out of Cordova to village schools with Dancing with the Spirit, a
program that connects youth and elders through school music programs. She’s a
passionate volunteer, dedicated to helping others in the community and beyond.
Please describe your volunteer work and why it’s important to you.
Currently,
I’m the rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church; the director of the Cordova 4H
Adult Music Camp; one of the Morning Music instructors at the elementary
school; and director of Dancing with the Spirit, a village music program.
Volunteer work is really fun; a great way to make friends and helps make the
world a better place. People here in Cordova and all over the world are praying
for us to help them, and when we do, the people we help are so grateful that it
turns out to be more of a blessing for all of us volunteering than we could
ever imagine! Because so many people from all over the world live here in
Cordova – or come here in the summers to work or visit – we can have a real
global impact by being friendly, hospitable and welcoming.
What do you do in Cordova now and what’s your professional background?
Though
I was trained as a science teacher, I find myself now working for the church
because it’s a great way to help others and pass love around, and in music,
because music really changes lives. I have a biology teaching certificate from
Miami University in Ohio; a master’s in environmental education from the School
of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan; and a master’s in divinity
from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. But you
don’t need any degrees to be an awesome volunteer.
List any groups you volunteer for and your volunteer roles.
At St.
George’s, I’m proud to be part of an organization that has been helping
Cordovans for 111 years. The Red Dragon, our parish hall, was dedicated in July
1908 with 25 Eyak people there to help in the celebration of the town’s first
library, reading room, and place to have a cup of coffee and write letters
home. Recently we raised money to fix the Red Dragon foundation and to put on a
new roof so that this “community living room” will be there for another 100
years of birthday parties, dances, concerts and events. We recently added two
gardening boxes so that next summer we can be part of the community garden
effort. The St. George’s Church building is celebrating 100 years as a house of
prayer for all nations, so look forward to a birthday party next month!
Our
Cordova 4H Music Camp just celebrated 25 years of an annual week-long summer
camp for kids. More music camp volunteers are always needed!
Morning
Music, which is on Thursdays and Fridays before school at Mt. Eccles, will
begin sometime in October and runs through April. It’s a chance for K-6
students to sing and play guitar, fiddle, ukulele, mandolin, bass and banjo.
Parents and older students and community members are always needed as helpers
and it’s an opportunity for all of us to get better at music, too.
Pre-schoolers are welcome with their parents or care givers. Teal Barmore calls
it “Mandatory Music” as it’s such a wonderful way to start the day!
Dancing
with the Spirit is a village school music program that is an outgrowth of the
Cordova 4H Music Camp and the Anchorage Alaska City Folk Arts Camp. We’ve been
traveling to 53 villages for over 12 years – most of them many times. In the
past two years our staff have spent 70 weeks in village schools teaching
guitar, fiddle, mandolin, ukulele, bass, singing and dancing. These camps
connect elders and their culture and language with students as a way to promote
healthy and sober-living, and encourage student leadership. A few years ago, we
were recognized with a $25,000 National Purpose Prize. I spend about one-third
of my time traveling in small planes to many Native villages primarily in
Interior Alaska.
What is something you gained from volunteer work?
Church
and music are two great ways to make many friends, be happy and reach out and
help others. One reason I became a priest was because I feel we need more
people taking time for each other, bringing chicken soup to those who are sick;
listening when people are hurting; giving “hands-on” help; encouraging each
other with our faith stories; and celebrating the great events in people’s
lives. Everybody can do something to help others! I have been blessed beyond my
wildest dreams with many friends old and new, and experiencing the best of my
own and other cultures.
How long have you lived in Cordova and where are you from?
I’ve lived in Cordova for 34 years. I’m originally from Lima, Ohio. I spent summers in Alaska working for the Forest Service from 1975-77 on the Kenai and in 1978 in Cordova – and lived in Fairbanks for nine winters before moving to Cordova in 1985 to start a birdwatching lodge with my husband Pete and young son Mike.
If you’d like to know more information on ways to volunteer in the community contact the Cordova Chamber of Commerce at 907-424-7260 or visit cordovachamber.com/volunteer.
Nominate someone for a future Volunteer Spotlight at [email protected].
