Chris Boake retired from UT in summer 2019. She began volunteering that same year with Friends of the Library, which serves the Knox County Public Library through events, such as author talks, and fundraising for the library’s special programming. Most of the Friends’ funds comes from used book sales. Chris sorted their donated and used books, gradually taking on increased responsibility, curating the donations in science and business and most recently leading the development of a group to determine fair prices for more valuable donations.
Volunteering with the Friends suits people with a variety of temperaments and interests, from assisting at book sales to covering social media. Time commitments start at a few hours a year to weekly work. Visit the “How to Help” section of the Friends website to learn more: knoxfriends.org.
As the COVID-19 pandemic waned, Chris also began volunteering with Trees Knoxville, which provides support for the City of Knoxville’s Urban Forestry department. To earn the title of Volunteer Forester, Chris took a course that met once a week in the evenings for four weeks, learning about tree care, tree ecology, and related topics. Then she participated in a planting, using her training to make sure trees were planted correctly. In addition to planting trees, the organization needs volunteers to help distribute trees at giveaways, attend booths during festivals, and offer workshops to children. Visit the “Programs” page at the organization’s website to learn more: treesknoxville.org.
