Volunteer at Lake James State Park
Do you want to give your time and effort to help keep Lake James State Park Naturally Wonderful? Find a volunteer position that suits your skill sets and contact the park today to make a difference in the park you love!
Volunteer Job Descriptions
Those who wish to volunteer at the front desk in the visitor center or Paddy's Creek office will assist the administrative specialist and assistants (permanent and seasonal) with their regular job duties.
Below are some typical front desk duties:
- Serve as a public contact for information about the park, both in person and over the phone.
- Register campers using the Aspira online reservation system.
- Operate the gift shop's point-of-sale system.
- Keep the front desk and gift shop clean and organized.
- Restock the gift shop with merchandise.
- Assist administrative staff with office tasks including filing, copying, typing, and data entry.
- Notify permanent staff (administrative, rangers, and maintenance) of problems as they arise.
We are not currently planning on having volunteers at the Paddy's Creek office, but during busy weekends and holidays, we may ask that volunteers go down to assist with the large number of people and/or cover lunch breaks for employees.
Volunteers will be trained by and report primarily to administrative staff, but will also ensure that all paperwork has been completed and submitted to the volunteer coordinator.
In general, volunteers for events will be given specific tasks by the administrative staff, maintenance, and rangers, depending upon their interests. These tasks may or may not coincide with regular volunteer duties.
Volunteers will likely assist with the setup and takedown of the event materials and other light labor tasks.
It is likely that volunteers who work in the visitor center will continue to perform their regular tasks, with an emphasis on assisting the administrative staff.
We ask that volunteers are flexible with the requests of permanent staff during events. If volunteers are asked to do something that they are unable to do safely, please notify staff or ask for assistance. If need be, volunteers will be given an alternate task.
Volunteers who wish to participate in any field work around the park will report directly to the volunteer coordinator and may be placed with maintenance employees and rangers to accomplish established projects. Field work volunteers will most likely be contacted as work projects are created around the state park and coordinated with various community partners and organizations.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own personal protective equipment (PPE). Volunteers may also bring their own hand tools and are responsible for any loss or wear and tear. Volunteers are not permitted to use power cutting tools.
Volunteers should plan on bringing:
- Work clothes / clothes they don't mind getting dirty
- Plenty of water
- Lunch and snacks
- Work or hiking boots or other durable footwear
- Work gloves
- Eye protection
- Hearing protection (earplugs, headphones, etc.)
In the event of a workday being cancelled due to a park closure, inclement weather, or another reason, both the volunteer coordinator and any organizing community members will contact volunteers to notify them.
This position is located at one of the campgrounds at Lake James State Park. The applicant chosen will serve as a volunteer campground host, providing a variety of services to campers.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
During a prearranged length of stay, volunteers serve as "live-in" hosts at the campground. The primary responsibility is to check campers in, assist campers in making same-day reservations, answer questions, and explain park rules and regulations.
It would be helpful if the volunteer was familiar with other state and national parks and recreation areas. Upon arrival, hosts will have to become familiar with local points of interest and the location of services and facilities that might be requested by campers.
Campground hosts shall take no law enforcement measure. They will, however, help provide minimum security against vandalism and other unlawful activities by their presence and ability to contact park personnel or local law enforcement officials.
The host will also perform light maintenance work around the campground, such as selling firewood, raking campsites, removing trash, and picking up litter. Additionally, they will clean and stock facilities in between regular cleaning done by maintenance. Major repair needs should be reported to park personnel. A checklist of duties, as provided by park maintenance staff, is listed below:
| Camp Host Maintenance Duties | |
|---|---|
| Paddy's Creek campground | Catawba River campground |
Bathhouse:
| Bathhouse:
|
Campsites (duties performed with vehicle provided by park):
| Campsites (duties performed with vehicle provided by park):
|
Hours
Hosts will have the freedom to adjust their schedule; however, the goal is to have all campers registered by closing time. Registering campers can be accomplished by having them stop at your site or you stopping by their site. See park personnel for details.
Hours and days of work will be coordinated with park personnel and are subject to change. Working hours will vary day to day; however, one can expect to work 20 to 30 hours a week. A typical week would be: Monday, Thursday and Sunday (4 hours per day), Friday and Saturday (8 hours per day), with Tuesday and Wednesday off.
To ensure contact with a majority of the park's campers, hosts will be required to work weekends, holidays, and evening hours. Otherwise, hours and days of work will be coordinated with park personnel.
Other Requirements of Work
This position requires knowledge of state park programs and regulations. Volunteers must display a willingness to deal with campground visitors in a cheerful and helpful manner. Hosts must present a neat and pleasing appearance at all times and be courteous but firm in dealing with the recreating public.
Campground hosts must set an example of being "model" campers, practice good housekeeping at their site, and observe all state park rules and regulations.
The assigned campsite will be identified with a "camper host" sign. Hosts will not be entitled to workers' compensation.
Benefits
The host program is an opportunity to become involved in the management of a North Carolina state park. Campground hosts will be allowed to stay in the campground and use the park's facilities free of charge. The park will provide electric, water, and sewer hookups at the host site. Hosts may have visitors stay at the host campsite free of charge. However, certain site capacity and vehicle parking restrictions will apply.
Control Over Position
Hosts will report to park personnel but are generally expected to work without direct supervision. Rangers will be available to answer questions, discuss problems, and handle law enforcement situations. An orientation session for hosts will be conducted at the beginning of each stay, and specific job duties will be discussed at that time.
Period of Service
Volunteer hosts are required to be available for a 1-month period. Some considerations may be given for an extended period of time. Services and camping privileges may be terminated at any time by the host or the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, if the services provided by the camp host are found to be unsatisfactory.
Season of Program
The campground host program will run year-round, with the busy season from March to November. Applications and additional information for this program may be requested from the volunteer coordinator:
lake.james@ncparks.gov
Lake James State Park
P.O. Box 340
Nebo, NC 28761
828-544-6800
General Guidelines
- While you are at the park, please keep in mind that although you are not an employee, you will reflect the NC Division of Parks and Recreation in the eyes of the public. Please be courteous and professional.
- Please note that all volunteer positions are unpaid and are not subject to reimbursement for work and service provided. Additionally, as a volunteer, you will not be entitled to workers' compensation.
- We will sign off on community service forms for jobs, projects, etc. that are completed. Make sure to inform the volunteer coordinator beforehand to ensure that all paperwork is properly completed.
- If you are injured while volunteering, please contact the closest employee. We want to make sure that you are taken care of.
- Volunteers will not take any law enforcement measures. If it arises that a ranger's presence is needed, notify a park ranger immediately.
Forms
All information provided on the appropriate forms will be added to a database for ease of reference and potential further contact regarding volunteer opportunities within the park. This information may be shared with other organizations or community partners, for the explicit purpose of coordinating volunteer work events within the state park (for example, the Foothills Conservancy of NC, etc.).
This information will not be shared with any commercial operations and will not be sold. If you do not wish to have information shared with other volunteer organizations or community partners, please inform the volunteer coordinator. We wish to respect your privacy and foster professional relationships.
Form Descriptions
All volunteers shall complete the appropriate forms (listed below) before engaging in any volunteer work within the park.
V-1: Volunteer Job Description (provided)
This will be determined by the park employees for office positions and on a case-by-case basis for field work and group activities or events.
V-2: Volunteer Application and Services Agreement (required)
This is required for all individual volunteers and the leaders of any volunteer group.
V-3A: List of Volunteer Group Participants (groups only)
This is required for all groups. Please make sure that the group leader fills out this form as well. In many cases, it will be very beneficial to have groups or organizations complete this prior to arrival to expedite the work to be done. If the group is formed as part of a workday event, this form will be filled out as volunteers arrive.
V-3B: Parental Approval Form (required for minors)
This is required for all volunteers under the age of 18 and must be signed by the volunteer's legal parent or guardian before any work is done.
V-4: Record of Volunteer Hours Worked (required)
This is required for groups and individuals. For individuals: please fill this form out as you volunteer. For groups: either the group leader or the volunteer coordinator will complete the form after work is done for the day or project.
V-6: Volunteer's Evaluation of Assignment (review)
This is optional for long-term volunteers and will provide written feedback that will be available for future use. We encourage you to give feedback as things happen to your manager or the volunteer coordinator.
V-7: Report of Volunteer Hours or Activities (recordkeeping)
This will be completed by the volunteer coordinator with the help of any staff who are managing volunteers.