Want to be a part of history?

OPPORTUNITIES to be a part of historic events in Philadelphia like the Continental Congress of 1776 and Live Aid have long gone by, but area residents can be a part of the city's next historic chapter by volunteering for the World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis' visit this fall.

"I finally have an answer to the question I get asked every day: 'How can I help?' " said Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of the WMOF. "The answer is volunteer."

At a news conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center yesterday announcing the opening of volunteer registration, WMOF organizers said they're seeking 10,000 volunteers for more than 100 events from Sept. 22 to 27, including the papal Mass on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

"We need you to assist visitors with directions, to welcome them at the Philadelphia International Airport and at 30th Street Station," Farrell said. "We need tweeters and we need people on Instagram to capture this and be our digital diplomats for this entire experience."

Volunteers who sign up at WorldMeeting2015.org must be 18 or older and pass a background check. Farrell said volunteers of all faiths are welcome.

Suzanne Kinkel, director of volunteers for WMOF, said that in the past four months, more than 2,000 people inquired about volunteering before registration was even open.

"The excitement from people around the world and in the United States has been incredible," she said.

Several area corporations and institutions have already committed to providing volunteers, including Aramark, Campbell Soup, Independence Blue Cross, Torcon, Cabrini College, Neumann University, St. Joseph's University and Villanova University.

Rosalie Mirenda, president of Neumann University, said Pope Francis is spreading a universal message that we should be instruments of goodness, and this is an opportunity to heed his call.

"It will come back, I assure you, it will come back to each a hundredfold," Mirenda said. "So say 'yes' to volunteering for World Meeting of Families."

Wadell Ridley, 55, vice president for government and community relations at St. Joseph's University, was on hand for the news conference. He said he's going to volunteer for WMOF on behalf of St. Joe's and on behalf of his local parish, St. Barbara's in West Philadelphia.

"It's something I'm really excited about, and I'm going to try to give as much of myself as I can," he said. "People are excited to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves."

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