Let the volunteering begin.

Milwaukee's host committee Thursday officially launched its volunteer portal for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

The website is www.milwaukee2020.com/volunteer.

The aim is to sign up 15,000 people to help with the convention and the crush of 50,000 delegates, media and tourists that will come to Milwaukee, July 13-16.

There's a minimum age of 16 to volunteer during convention week, but there will be opportunities for all ages to participate at events in the coming months, organizers said.

The host committee will also partner with the Milwaukee Public Library.

There will be a designated computer station and instructional signage for volunteer registration at the library's 13 branches.

On Saturdays in February and March, volunteers and community partners will be at the Mitchell Street, East and Martin Luther King branch libraries to help with the registration process for people who need additional support, including in the areas of language and technology.

"We are excited to support residents in their efforts to have a role of any size in what could easily become the opportunity of a lifetime," said Joan Johnson, deputy library director.

The host committee is also partnering with other groups to recruit volunteers, including labor unions, the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, an umbrella group of nine African-American fraternities and sororities.

Organizers say that 10,000 people have already expressed interest to volunteer. They said those who previously registered with the host committee should receive emails to complete their volunteer profile in the portal.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said those who sign up "will be ambassadors for the City of Milwaukee."

"This is a tremendous opportunity for all of us who love our city, who love our state, who love our region to get out and represent us on the world stage," he said.

Barrett said volunteers were key to past Democratic conventions he attended in Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C.

"What I vividly remember is people from the community who were out there to help delegates," he said.

Barrett said over the months many people have asked him when they were going to hear back about volunteering for the convention.

Some volunteers voiced complaints about not hearing back sooner from the host committee.

"This is the kickoff for this portion of the preparation for the convention," Barrett said.

Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee President Liz Gilbert said the volunteers will "deliver a meaningful experience to convention visitors" while "showcasing Milwaukee to the world."

She said the portal "will be our volunteers go-to resource for being a Milwaukee 2020 volunteer.

"The people of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the region have a deep legacy of civic engagement and volunteerism," she said. "Volunteering is more than donating time. it is the opportunity to both improve oneself and one's community."

Gilbert told the Milwaukee Common Council's Steering and Rules Committee Thursday that they will work to break down barriers to volunteering through the Building Our Future program. The program will identify a subset of the volunteer corps to receive additional leadership training and assistance.

"Far too often, expenses such as unfulfilled wages and transportation inhibit low-income Americans and young people from participating in civic engagement activities," she said.

Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

There will also be $15-an-hour internships with the host committee and the Democratic National Convention Committee as well as jobs available. Internship and job information for the host committee can be found on www.milwaukee2020.com. DNCC information can be found at www.demconvention.com/jobs.