Goyette Celebrates 10 Years as VIP

RISBJ Staff | May 08, 2015

WOONSOCKET, RI – As a 16-year-old, Matthew Goyette already had a sense of community service.

When he encountered then NPS–Ranger Suzanne Buchanan during a cleanup a spark

caught fire and that was the day he became a VIP – an NPS Volunteer-In-Parks. That

was ten years ago.

Goyette has been a steady, friendly presence in the Blackstone Heritage

Corridor (BHC). Throughout the years, he has worn many hats: offering visitor

services, working on Blackstone Heritage Corridor events like Bike & Blues, playing

Frosty the Snowman for Polar Express, and maintaining the landscape at the beautiful

train depot that houses NPS and BHC offices. Every task he takes on includes the

signature Matt Goyette smile.

When asked why he originally volunteered at age 16, Matt states, “I wanted to

be of service to my community.” Goyette has matured into an adult with great pride

in his City of Woonsocket, as well as the entire National Heritage Corridor. He

reflects that the most important thing he has learned from his volunteer experience is

“hospitality and how to work with people.”

Suzanne Buchanan, BHC’s Volunteers-In-Parks Program Coordinator,

remembers that Matt has always been a volunteer she could count on. “He’s always

so flexible and supportive of the staff and other volunteers. We thank Matt for ten

wonderful years of service and look forward to what he will accomplish in the next

ten – we know he’s here for the long haul.”

The VIP Program was developed by the National Park Service and is

administered through the Blackstone Heritage Corridor. For others interested in

becoming a VIP, Suzanne Buchanan is pleased to provide an overview of the program

and sign up new recruits. Most VIPs have been with the program for many years. As

Suzanne always says, “Imagine the possibilities!”

The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a unique cultural

landscape of industrial history and immigration in the interconnected system of the

Blackstone River watershed. An energetic nonprofit, the Blackstone River Valley

National Heritage Corridor, Inc. partners with organizations, local communities and

businesses, and residents to insure the long term vitality of the Corridor.