Ways to volunteer
Work parties are Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Using the volunteer form below, give us the project name and date you are interested in at least five days in advance.
House Restoration Projects & Garden
Work Parties
This is your opportunity to get community service credit, and add to the volunteer part of your resume.
Have fun working on the Oak Tree Farm school garden in the back, or help us as we plant and maintain the front historic garden.
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Or help with on-going house restoration projects, working with our caretaker, such as repairing and rebuilding our wooden windows—sanding, painting and installation—or waterproofing the exterior. Training is included.
House Collections
This home survived the late 19th century and the early 20th century and is full of the family's history, documents and belongings—a collection of everything they saved, used and felt they needed or wanted.
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Our goal is to keep the collection together, accessible and intact so it can be studied by historians, designers, and graduate students, and you! We will train you to use the amazing Catalogit app. We have many more items to catalog.
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Use this link to see our collection of 3200+ cataloged items from the house:
Help with Teas
We need volunteers to help us with private and public teas. If you like to cook, decorate, dress up, serve or help in the gift shop and with tours, we need you!
Help Lead Tours
Are you interested in Bay Area history? Do you love old houses and antiques? Become a docent and lead tours of the Cohen Bray House. In docent training, you will learn about the history of the Cohen Bray family and their deep roots in California, and will be exposed to architectural details of the house. You will hear charming family stories, and can learn how to display items from our vast collection of clothing, hats, photographs, furniture, cookbooks, china, silverware, lamps and so much more. As a docent, you will be trained to do historical interpretation for all ages and can help lead our monthly tours.
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Questions? Call 510-527-5209 to leave a message.