Three years ago, the Downtown Planting Committee was down to two active members, a list of overgrown flower boxes, and a lot of good intentions. Today, it has fourteen volunteers, a waiting list for the spring planting day, and a reputation as one of the most welcoming entry points for new Winnemucca Main Street volunteers. A lot of that turnaround comes down to one person: Teresa Álvarez.
A Reluctant First Step
Teresa will be the first to tell you she didn’t walk in with a plan. She signed up for a single planting day in April 2023 because her neighbor mentioned it and she had a Saturday free. “I didn’t know anything about WMS or what the organization even did,” she says, laughing. “I just thought I’d come plant some flowers and go home.”
She stayed for four hours that day, went home sunburned and mud-caked, and signed up to come back the following weekend. By the end of that summer, she was helping coordinate the committee’s planting calendar. A year later, she became its informal chair — a role she has held ever since, growing the group from a handful of regulars into a genuine community team.
Building Something That Lasts
What sets Teresa apart isn’t just her dedication — it’s how she thinks about sustainability. Early on, she recognized that a volunteer committee lives or dies by its culture. So she focused on making the planting days genuinely enjoyable: good snacks, good music, a clear task list so no one ever felt idle, and an explicit culture of welcoming newcomers without making them feel like they had to already know what they were doing.
“I wanted people to leave feeling like they’d accomplished something real and had fun doing it. If someone has a good first experience, they come back. That’s the whole game.”
Teresa Álvarez, Downtown Planting Committee
The results speak for themselves. The planters and flower boxes along 4th Street — a subtle but constant visual signal that someone cares about this place — are now maintained year-round, with a spring installation, a summer upkeep rotation, and a fall transition to seasonal plantings. Several of the local businesses have started contributing to the plant budget after watching the committee work outside their windows.
What Volunteering with WMS Really Looks Like
One thing Teresa hears often from new volunteers is surprise at how tangible the work is. “People expect nonprofits to be a lot of meetings and committees,” she says. “But with WMS you can actually point to something at the end of the day. Those flowers are there because we put them there. That sign looks good because someone cleaned it. It’s very satisfying.”
Winnemucca Main Street has volunteer opportunities across all four of our program areas — from design and beautification (like Teresa’s committee) to economic vitality, organization, and promotion. Whether you have two hours a month or two days a week, there’s a place for you.
Join Us This Spring
The Downtown Planting Committee’s spring kick-off day is scheduled for the last Saturday in April. All skill levels welcome — no gardening experience required. Coffee and breakfast burritos provided.
Sign up to volunteer today and we’ll make sure you’re on the list for spring planting and any other opportunities that match your schedule and interests. And if you’d like to support the work Teresa and her team do without getting your hands dirty, a donation to Winnemucca Main Street helps fund the plants, tools, and materials that make it all possible.