Get Involved:
Find Your Place at the Bench 

Founding Board & Executive Leadership

The critical team needed to establish our legal and financial foundation.

• Who We Need: We are actively seeking 3 to 5 founding individuals to serve as Corporate Officers and Board Directors:

  • President: Community spokesperson, meeting facilitator, strategic coordinator.

  • Treasurer: Oversee non-profit banking, ledger tracking, and state/IRS 501(c)(3) compliance.

  • Secretary: Maintain meeting minutes, official records, corporate filings, and bylaws.

  • Steering Committee Leads: Coordinate facility scouting, safety standards, and membership logistics.

• Commitment: 4–8 hours per month during launch.

Workshop Floor & Safety Mentorship

Put your practical skills to work mentoring others and maintaining a safe shop.

• Bench Captains (Trade Mentors): Experienced woodworkers, welders, machinists, or electricians who want to help design bench setups, inspect machinery, and author tool certification checklists.

• Bench Bosses (Floor Supervisors): The friendly face on duty during open shop hours. Welcomes members, checks them in, ensures eye/ear protection, and signs off on tool usage.

• Repair Café "Fixers": Troubleshooters who enjoy taking things apart to help neighbors diagnose and repair household lamps, small appliances, electronics, toys, or wooden heirlooms.

• Tool Chief / Crib Team: Keep hand and power tools cataloged, sharpened, serviced, and safely checked in and out.

• Commitment: Flexible—from one 3-hour shift per month to weekly involvement.

Subcommittees & Community Champions

Crucial behind-the-scenes support that keeps the Shed thriving.

• Projects Committee: Evaluate and organize community build requests from local schools, parks, and non-profits (birdhouses, library benches, trail kiosks).

• Donation Intake Team: Coordinate tool pickups, inspect donated motors/cables, and sort usable equipment starting January 1st.

• Member Welcome Team: Greet newcomers, help craft personalized wooden member badges, and run new-member orientations.

• Communications & Events: Help design flyers, spread the word on local boards, and organize open houses.

Frequently Asked Questions

• "I don't have any trade skills. Can I still be involved?"
  Absolutely. A Men’s Shed runs on many talents: organizing, cleaning, brewing coffee, checking people in, assembling kits, and helping neighbors. We teach you what you want to learn, and there is always work for willing hands.

• "Is there a cost to volunteer?"
  No. Volunteering on our committees, attending meetings, and helping launch the facility is 100% free. When the physical workshop opens in 2027, volunteer leaders and Bench Bosses will receive credit toward shop access.

• "Can women volunteer or participate?"
  Yes! While our core daily workshop program is grounded in the international Men’s Shed health and social model, our organizational leadership, community volunteer roles, and monthly public Repair Cafés are open to everyone in Livingston County.